Shannon Allen, wife of NBA Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen, was presented with an award at the Mothers of Professional Basketball Players conference in Orlando for her work  to help fund Type I diabetes research.  Yes, I know the conference was last week, however; All Star Grind will never stop providng recoginition to our favorite ballers, their wives and family philanthropic efforts to improve life.

The Allens’ youngest son, Walker, was diagnosed with Type I diabetes in 2008. Shannon Allen recounted her story about how she and Ray Allen discovered their son’s illness during the Boston Celtics’ 2008 NBA Finals run against the Los Angeles Lakers.

By no means is Shannon Allen associated to the images that television provides to us today regarding  what an NBA player housewife’s life is like (that is a different story for another blog site).  All Star Girnd truly admires Shannons’ dedication to a worthy cause while maintaining the role of a wife and mother to all of her kids.

Shannon Allen has been in Washington D.C. devoting time to the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation national conference, where she sits on the international board.  JDRF has been a lifeline of support and information since the Allens’ 3-year-old son, Walker, was diagnosed with Type I diabetes in the middle of the Celtics-Lakers NBA 2008 Finals run.  The Allen’s world was turned inside out with the gut-wrenching news, but they want life to remain normal for Walker.

“We don’t want him to feel like he’s a child that’s different than everybody else,” Ray Allen said. “Everybody has challenges and, you know, we all are getting something different and this is just what you have and you have to deal with it.”

Walker has a unique morning routine in comparison to his 17-year-old sister Tierra, 5-year-old brother Ray Allen Jr. and new younger brother 10-month old Wynn.  His finger is pricked to check the blood sugar levels. Unlike Type II diabetes, which can be linked to lifestyle choices, Type I is a genetic autoimmune disease in which the body does not produce insulin and therefore cannot convert sugar, starches and other foods into energy.

Walker, affectionately called Walkie, receives between five to seven insulin shots a day and has his blood sugar levels checked upwards to 10 times a day.

“The thought of a needle is a nightmare for most children. But Walkie endures it everyday,” Shannon Allen said.

This is the new normal for young Walker since that frightening day in a Los Angeles hotel room two years ago. The Allens thought he had an upset stomach traveling across the country from Boston to Los Angeles for the NBA Finals. He vomited when he got off the plane and again, later, in the week during a Tuesday game.

“I thought it was a flu thing or maybe he was just anxious. There was a lot going on,” Shannon Allen said. “By Friday, we knew something was wrong. He was like a wet noodle. [Ray] was really uneasy, he said, ‘What’s wrong with Walkie?‘ ”

Believing it to be the flu, they loaded Walker up with fluids and medicine. He remained lethargic and dehydrated despite drinking plenty of fluids Saturday after Game 5. The following day, Shannon took him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where the doctor delivered startling news.  Walker’s blood sugar level read at 639. The normal level is between 80-120. If left untreated, Walker could have gone into a diabetic coma or, even worse, he could have died.

“The rug had been pulled out from underneath me,” said Shannon Allen, who delivered the news to Ray via phone while he was driving to practice. “I never shed a tear. I don’t know. I knew what the severity of the situation was. Maybe part of it was that I knew I couldn’t break for [Walker]. I was afraid of him seeing me afraid. I didn’t want him to think we didn’t have it under control.”

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