Man with Type 1 diabetes scales mountains

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Will Cross has skied to the North and South poles and scaled the highest peaks on seven continents, including Mount Everest.But he isn't your average adventurer. The 40-year-old Pittsburgh man must overcome risks other explorers don't even have to consider.Cross has type 1 diabetes.That means journeying to Earth's most extreme locations while controlling a disease requiring regular doses of insulin, a steady diet and tightly controlled blood-glucose levels. The biggest challenges are avoiding low blood sugar and preventing the insulin from freezing.Cross, a father of six, has proved that people with diabetes can achieve whatever goals they choose.Preparing to trek to the Himalayas in March to scale Lhotse, the world's fourth-highest mountain, Cross spoke about his life and the message he imparts to others with diabetes: Under control, diabetes does not need to be a mountain to climb."When you properly manage it, you can do whatever you aspire to do. Life doesn't have to stop," he said. "When I speak to people, I don't recommend they climb Mount Everest, or go to the South Pole. What I do recommend is that they take on the challenge of life. You may not always be successful, but you are required to try."Type 1 is an autoimmune disease that destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Lack of insulin, the hormone that allows glucose to enter cells, causes glucose to build to dangerous levels in the blood, while preventing cells from receiving energy.Treatment requires daily doses of insulin, a good diet, exercise and regular testing of blood-glucose levels.Facing this health challenge, Cross at age 17 applied to go on a survival expedition to the wilds of Patagonia in South America. His application was rejected because of his diabetes.So he wrote a letter to Prince Charles, of England, the program's patron, to explain how he wanted to prove he could overcome diabetes' limitations. Prince Charles replied with a letter of acceptance.The South America adventure tested his resolve. Planners grossly underestimated the food supply, and for 20 days, participants had to survive on a daily ration of a single serving of cheese and bread and half a lemon.So Cross drastically reduced his insulin dose, while he and others foraged for berries, ate grasses and bagged wild ducks and sea urchins. Near starvation, he survived the ordeal and proved he could control his diabetes under extreme conditions.Upon his return, he attended Allegheny College and climbed mountains during summers. With a master's degree from Duquesne University and principal's certificate from the University of Pittsburgh, he worked with troubled youth.But he felt caged.Soon the idea struck him: Why not turn his hobby into a profession? Interested in trekking to the South Pole, he sought corporate sponsors to fund his trip but found no company willing to back the risky venture that could bring bad headlines should he fail -- or die.So Cross and his friend, Jerry Petersen of Pittsburgh, each raised $10,000 and undertook the two-week icy journey to the North Pole. Led by a guide, the two reached the pole on April 20, 2001. He was the first with type 1 to accomplish the feat.Soon after, in 2002, he spent a month exploring Greenland, climbing and naming various glacial mountains. Those experiences bolstered his confidence and credentials to pursue corporate funding for a trip to the South Pole.Cross hired a man to raise the $500,000 necessary for the trip and Novo Nordisk, the world's largest insulin producer, came on board as a sponsor.The University of Pittsburgh Diabetes Institute also decided to study what effect the two-month marathon through temperatures dipping as low as minus-54 degrees Fahrenheit would have on his diabetes. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center nutritionists planned his diet -- mostly fats, nuts, cheeses, chocolates and other high-calorie foods.The 730-mile trek to the South Pole got under way in 2003 with an overriding question: Could he keep control of his diabetes?After two laborious months they reached the pole, making Cross the first person with type 1 to accomplish that goal. His trip was covered on "Today" and "Discovery Kids," among many other media outlets.In 2005, the public-relations industry named him "Spokesperson of the Year" because people responded favorably to his feats and the inspirational message he imparted in speeches he gave nationwide.His Web site, www.willcrossmotivates.com, details his successes.Cross said his mission is on course -- to give hope to all people with diabetes."I speak with patients all over the country to empower them and inspire them to walk around the block and live a richer life," he said.David Templeton can be reached at dtempleton(at)post-gazette.com. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com