PARKLAND, Fla. - Former Florida Panthers captain Olli Jokinen had admittedly seen a lot throughout his 17 seasons in the NHL, but he'd never in his life seen anything quite like this.
In April of 2017, Jokinen and his wife, Katerina, started to notice some drastic changes in their teenage daughter, Emma. She was losing weight despite an ample appetite and complaining of frequent headaches. On most days, she'd arrive home from school in a state of total exhaustion.
Olli Jokinen Raising Awareness for Juvenile Diabetes
"We thought something was odd," Katerina Jokinen said.
Not long after, Katerina said she simply couldn't sleep anymore. She knew what was ailing her daughter wasn't normal and had to find out what it was. So, late one Friday night, she decided to take Emma to the emergency room, where she was rushed straight to the intensive care unit.
Just a few weeks shy of her 13th birthday, Emma was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis.
"I got the call two or three hours later," said Olli Jokinen, who had stayed home with his other two daughters, Alexandra and Keira. "She told me that Emma's got Type 1 diabetes. I was like, 'What's that?' My understand of diabetes was that there was only type of diabetes, and that's Type 2, which you typically find in older or heavier people. How does something like this happen to a 13-year-old? She's skinny, she eats healthy, she had an active lifestyle. I was shocked."
The Jokinen's were told that if Emma had not been taken to the emergency room that night, she might have not woken up the next morning. The doctors said she'd likely been dealing with the disease for two to three months, and at that point her pancreas had stopped producing insulin.
Type 1 diabetes, which is often referred to as juvenile diabetes, affects both children and adults, with a diagnosis possible at any age. In the United States, around 40,000 people are diagnosed each year, with some 1.25 million Americans currently living with the autoimmune disease.
Like her father, Emma at first didn't know what to make of the diagnosis.
"At first I was really confused because I didn't know what was happening," Emma said. "I thought it was going to go away - it doesn't, by the way. At the moment there's no cure, so I'm kind of stuck with it. But you get used to it. In the first couple days at the hospital, I was super confused, but I was less confused than my parents. They were really confused."
Emma said learning to live with diabetes was difficult at first. She'd have to watch what she eats and remind herself to check her blood sugar levels frequently. Her parents, of course, were also often worried. "My dad would always be like, 'Check your blood! Check your blood!'" she said.
Although there is no cure, Type 1 diabetes is manageable through insulin intake, healthy eating, exercise and other activities. Every day, Emma monitors her blood-sugar levels by pricking her finger to test her blood and also wears a pump that provides a continuous infusion of insulin.
"It's a whole new way of life," Katerina Jokinen said of Emma's daily regime. "She has to go through this. We're just standing next to her watching. She has to control this and prick herself and get used to it. Every meal has to be counted down to the last carb you eat."
And although there was a learning curve at first, Emma has impressed her parents with her responsibility and management throughout her first year and a half living with the disease.
"We're so proud of her now, the way she's managing it every day." Olli Jokinen said. "With any 14-year-old, you ask them how many carbs are in one cup of pasta, I don't think there's too many that know. She does. She can live a normal life and do whatever she wants to do. There's nothing holding her back. I truly believe that there could be a cure not too far away."
In an effort to help find that cure and raise awareness, the Jokinen's have begun to work closely with the Junior Diabetic Research Fund (JDRF). From the moment Emma was diagnosed, the JDRF was there to provide them with support, offering both medical and nutritional coaching.
Founded in 1970, the JDRF has funded more than $2 billion in diabetic research.
"They actually educate you," said Olli Jokinen, who added that the JDRF has continued to check in on the family regularly. "They don't let you leave the hospital unless you feel comfortable with everything. You're in the classroom over there."
As for Emma, she received a backpack from the JDRF upon her release from the hospital. It was filled with a teddy bear and a wealth of information to get her started on her long journey.
"I still have the bear," said Emma, who keeps the stuffed keepsake over her bed. "They also gave me a book filled with every food that you could ever think of. It lists the carbs and the fat and the calories so you could track everything. I've memorized everything. It's easy now."
Emma has also used her unique situation to become an ambassador for Type 1 diabetes.
"It's kind of fun to share it," said Emma, who uses Instagram to connect with other juvenile diabetics and those curious about the disease. "It could happen to anyone. I didn't know it was going to happen to be two years ago. I think it's important to tell people."
After spending seven seasons with the Panthers, Olli Jokinen, whose 188 goals still stand as a franchise record, will return to BB&T Center on Saturday night to be honored during Florida's matchup against the Nashville Predators as part of the ongoing "Legacy Saturday" series.
A brand new initiative to celebrate the team's 25th anniversary, each "Legacy Saturday" honoree is asked to drop the ceremonial first puck and has a custom T-shirt bearing their likeness sold in the official team store. At first, the profits from these shirts were supposed to go to the players.
But for Jokinen, who will drop the puck with Emma, every dollar will go to the JDRF.
"It'll be an exciting night," said Olli Jokinen, who convinced fellow alumni to donate the money from their T-shirt sales to the JDRF as well. "I think for Emma, it's a big thing to get out there and get that opportunity to drop the puck. I'm more excited for her than me. It's more about the fact that we get to raise awareness with the Panthers… The hockey family is a tight thing."
