Mark Andrews of the Baltimore Ravens has proven that diabetes does not have to be an obstacle for an athlete. He passes this knowledge on to those affected and changed the life of a child with the disease.

Munich/Baltimore: He is one of the most important weapons of the Baltimore Ravens. With 811 receiving yards Mark Andrews is the second most effective player of his team. Only wide receiver Marquise Brown (825 receiving yards) is ahead of him.

As a tight end who must function as both a blocker and a catcher, Andrews is one of the best the NFL has to offer. The 26-year-old has already broken several franchise records for most touchdowns and most receiving yards by a player at his position, for example.

Diabetes requires constant monitoring

The special: Andrews is physically impaired as a type 1 diabetic. The only time he takes off his insulin pump is on the football field. He doesn’t see diabetes as an obstacle, but draws motivation from it more than anything else.

“That’s one of the things that drives me. I want to show people that I am a type 1 diabetic, but that I go out and compete with others,” he says.

The disease requires adjustments: His blood sugar levels could plummet if he exerts too much energy. During training, he hands over his mobile phone to a member of the coaching team, which monitors readings via the sensor on Andrews’ body.

At games, there is a “diabetes bag” with snacks on the sidelines so he can re-stabilise his blood sugar levels at any time if needed.

Slipped to the 3rd round in the NFL Draft because of diabetes?

The disease could have been a reason he wasn’t selected until the 3rd round in the 2018 NFL Draft. “I know there were teams and people that saw me at the Combine and said, ‘Oh, he’s a type 1 diabetic. That’s bad.'”

Today, he is all about being a role model for others affected by the disease.

“Type 1 diabetes is a 24/7 battle. I think it’s very encouraging for an affected child to see someone playing at the highest level despite that,” he said.

He met one of those kids recently. It was after the Week 11 game against the Chicago Bears when a young spectator held up a sign that read “T1D.” Andrews immediately knew what that meant: type 1 diabetes.

Valuable letter contact between Andrews and a ten-year-old

10-year-old Rhys Kinney, who made the sign, is affected himself. “He was afraid he couldn’t play baseball anymore,” his father Brett tells “ESPN”.

With the help of his older brother, he had already written to the Baltimore Ravens and Mark Andrews a few weeks before the game in Chicago. Andrews replied and wrote, among other things, that diabetes made him the person he is today.

Rhys should therefore not see the disease as an obstacle, but rather as an advantage. Andrews learned to take care of his diet and health at an early age. This has helped him as an athlete.

About a month ago my older son wrote a letter to the Ravens for my younger son who is T1D. Today a package from the Ravens arrived along with a letter from Mark Andrews. We are so grateful! Thank you Ravens! pic.twitter.com/ZRtfrLe6m8

– Heather Radebaugh (@HeatherRadebau2) January 7, 2020

The face-to-face meeting, which took place after the game in Chicago, was a very special experience for the son-man, as the father reports: “What I really appreciate Mark for is that he made Rhys feel special. Because he has a lot of days when he doesn’t feel like that. “

Happy dad: “He will always remember this “

The Ravens had tipped the family in advance to draw attention to themselves with a sign. So the boy set to work and was rewarded. After a little conversation, the NFL star gave him his gloves from the game.

“The kindness Mark showed my family and the impact he had on my son cannot be overstated,” says the father. “He really changed my son’s life. He will remember it forever. “