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Diabetes can't keep Ridgewood's Wexell down
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For Cambridge High School senior and Ridgewood volleyball standout Brooklyn Wexell, every day on the court is the gift that keeps on giving. Since being diagnosed as a diabetic during her fifth-grade year, Wexell has striven to both understand and combat her condition as well as increasing her determination to maintain a normal lifestyle. "I knew I wasn't going to let it stop me,'' she said. "I still had to be me, to do my own thing.'' Wexell's teammates on the Ridgewood volleyball co-op have also strived to help her deal with the disease that affects countless people worldwide, reminding her to check her blood sugar and watching for signs her condition may be changing during a match or practice session. "Being so young, I've been able to maintain very well; a few times, my sugar's gotten super high or low, but I've never been put back in the hospital,'' said Wexell. "My teammates are very supportive, which I appreciate a lot. They tell me to test my sugar, so that I can correct it if it's high, or have Coach (Lisa Miller) take me out if it's low, so that I can eat something and bring it back up.'' The senior libero's teammates -- which include her younger sister, sophomore outside hitter Paige Wexell -- are doing something else to give her a boost by hosting tonight's "Digging for Diabetes'' fundraising event at Cambridge during the Spartans' Lincoln Trail Conference match against ROWVA. Doors open at 4:15 p.m., with a freshman match slated for 4:45, followed by the junior varsity at 6 and the varsity thereafter. During all three matches, there will be raffles, silent auctions, a 50-50 drawing and beads and T-shirts that can be bought, although the T-shirts have mostly sold out and will be in limited supply. Both teams will wear special royal-blue jerseys (the color of diabetes awareness), and all proceeds will go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. "It's to let people know that even if you have it, it doesn't slow you down,'' said Miller. "We've got some younger students in our school that have it, and I hope Brooklyn can be a role model to them and give them hope, too. She just goes her fullest in every practice, every game. There's no excuses; she just goes. She is amazing. She just keeps fighting.'' A cheerleader as well as a multi-sport athlete, Wexell is equally set on being a proper role model for other student-athletes who may be in her position. "I want to show them I'm a good role model, and I want them to take care of themselves," she said. "When it happened to me, it was very upsetting; I didn't understand why. But I'm a strong person, and I can take care of myself. I've just got to do my own thing." 
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Today is Wednesday, May 22, the 142nd day of 2013. There are 223 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: Large quantities of ice from LaCrosse and Lake Pepin are beingshipped on ice boats, towed by steamers to St. Louis and points below.
1888 -- 125 years ago: With the Mississippi River at 18 feet above the low water stage,Rock Island is waging a valiant fight to keep the river from flooding the entire city.
1913 -- 100 years ago: Approval has been given by the city commission for paving 45thStreet between 7th and 11th Avenues.
1938 -- 75 years ago: Herndon Wright, of East Moline, has won the discus-throw title, by aheave of more than 140 feet, to set a new high school record at Champaign.
1963 -- 50 years ago: With the Selective Service Law recently extended by Congress forfour more years, Mrs. Hazel Doris reminded young men that they must register withinfive days after attaining their 18th birthday.
1988 -- 25 years ago: Over 500 Quad-Cities area retired volunteers were honoredrecently for their community services at a Retired Senior Volunteer Program luncheonat Palmer Auditorium in Davenport. Guest speaker, William Moffitt, director of productengineering of Deere & Co., spoke about leadership and stressed the importance ofcommunity volunteers.
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