K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital
Young
Thespian
Triumphs
Over Type 1
Diabetes
Theater is 10-year-old Jake Walsh’s passion.
He recently appeared in The Music Man
in Red Bank, where he played the lead
boy, Winthrop Paroo.
A Life-Changing Diagnosis
In May 2011, Jake was admitted to
K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital
at Jersey Shore under the care
of Cynthia Meyers-Seifer, M.D., a
pediatric endocrinologist and part of
Meridian Pediatric Network. When
Dr. Meyers-Seifer diagnosed Jake with
type 1 diabetes, Jake was scared. “I
didn’t understand what diabetes was.
When Dr. Meyers-Seifer explained
it to me, I was a little scared and
nervous about having to use needles
every day to manage my diabetes,”
says Jake, now 10 years old.
Dr. Meyers-Seifer and Gaye
Madigan, clinical coordinator of
Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology
at Jersey Shore, monitored Jake closely
for a few days and educated his
parents about Jake’s diabetes before
releasing him. “Unique things happen
when children and families come in to
see us here at K. Hovnanian. We enter
their lives, learn everything about
them, then turn their goals into our
goals,” Gaye says.
Successfully Forging a New Path
Jake and his family’s lives were
immediately changed after his
diagnosis, as they now constantly
manage his blood glucose levels
to keep him healthy. “Diabetes
greatly affects a family,” says
Dr. Meyers-Seifer. “The Walshes’
Cynthia H. Meyers-Seifer, M.D.
Board certified in Pediatrics
and Pediatric Endocrinology
Neptune • 732-776-4860
support has been essential to Jake’s
success.” Jake checks in with his mom
every few hours to review his levels and
discuss what he needs to do to balance
them. He also visits Dr. Meyers-Seifer and
Gaye Madigan frequently. “Gaye is a rock
for Jake. She makes him feel comfortable
about coming to the office every three
months,” Victoria says.
Now Jake is a huge advocate
for type 1 diabetes patients. He
worked with his school to help raise
approximately $11,000 for the Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation Kids
Walk, a Monmouth County record.
“It’s great to see Jake manage his
diabetes so well, but to see him
speak about it and help people while
excelling in his activities, it’s just
tremendous,” Gaye says.
By Travis Taylor
Top-Notch Diabetes Care for Kids
The Endocrinology division at K. Hovnanian Children’s
Hospital provides care for children with a variety
of endocrine disorders, including diabetes. Go to
KHovnanianChildrensHospital.com to learn more.
Meridian HealthViews • November/December 2013
In spring 2011, 8-year-old Jake Walsh
was feeling tired after walking the
flight of stairs to his second-grade
classroom. Jake’s parents, Victoria and
Martin, noticed his lack of energy and
increased thirst, which caused him to
go to the bathroom frequently.
Victoria mentioned this to her
friend Cheryl and her husband,
Thomas Lozowski, D.O., a Meridianaffiliated family practice physician.
Since Dr. Lozowski has a son with
type 1 diabetes, these behaviors
raised a red flag. Upon going to
the Walshes’ home to test Jake’s
blood glucose, Dr. Lozowski found
that it was well over safe levels. “I
packed a bag and rushed Jake to the
Emergency Department at Jersey
Shore University Medical Center,”
Victoria says.
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