The Saints welcomed a special visitor on Tuesday morning, when 12-year-old Type-1 Diabetic Sharli O’Rielly met one of her heroes, St Kilda’s own Paddy McCartin.

The St Kilda spearhead was on hand to present a $5000 cheque on behalf of St Kilda’s playing group to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

A Type-1 Diabetic himself, McCartin hopes the funds will help to make a difference for people living with the condition.

“We decided as a playing group that we’d donate money to the JDRF, and that just goes towards hopefully improving technology for Type-1 Diabetics and then hopefully finding a cure as well,” he said.

READ: McCartin using time wisely


Paddy McCartin has found an upside to his extended stint on the sidelines.

Since becoming a professional footballer, McCartin has dedicated himself to increasing awareness of diabetes and acting as a role model for young diabetics.

“Sharli came down from Bendigo with her family, and I just met her and got to know her and how she’s going with it all,” McCartin said.

“I think for anyone who has (diabetes) at a young age, even when I was younger, I had people I looked up to with it, so people who’ve had more experience dealing with it, you always look to them for a bit of guidance.

“Hopefully I can give that to a lot of younger kids who are growing up with it, and even parents as well who are trying to find ways to improve their kids’ way of life …I wear that as a real badge of honour.”

McCartin was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes at just eight years of age, and he’s had to deal with the condition ever since.

“It’s very difficult and it’s 24/7, you have to think about it every second of every day, so along with all the other pressures that come with any job, having that on top can be difficult for a lot of people to deal with,” said the 22-year-old.

“I think even younger kids like Sharli, she’s 12 years old in Year 6 at school, and no other kid there would have it, so she’d go out to lunch and have to do a needle and that sort of stuff.

“It’s just the extra little things like that that can really weigh on people, so if I can be there for people and give them a bit of an understanding that they’re not by themselves, then that’s really important.”

It was a great experience to meet Sharli today, who is a type 1 diabetic and to also meet her family and present a cheque for $5000 on behalf of the boys and myself to @jdrfaus, which is a charity that means a lot to me. Having been a type 1 diabetic for 13 years i know the impact this organisation can have on improving the lives of type 1 diabetics and there families across Australia. Diabetes is an illness that is 24/7, 365 days a year, and if managed properly can allow any type 1 diabetic to do whatever they want, but this takes a lot of effort. At times through my 13 years, I have really struggled dealing with having it, and a lot of days would wake up wishing I didn’t have it. To be honest i despised diabetes and It has taken me until probably the last 12-18 months to be open with people about having it and living with it, 2 years ago I would have been too embarrassed to suggest @jdrfaus as a charity we could donate too, because I didn’t really want to talk about my diabetes in front of anyone. Luckily I have an unbelievable family, girlfriend, friends, teammates/coaches and support network of doctors who help me and support me everyday, and without them I wouldn’t be able to get up everyday and do something I love. I get to live a very healthy life and am very lucky I can, and I encourage all type 1 diabetics to try and embrace what they have and even though it can be a pain in the ass at times, never let it stop you doing anything you want to.

A post shared by Paddy Mccartin (@paddymccartin) on

Sharli’s father Gavin O’Rielly spoke of the importance of having people like McCartin as high-profile role models for people living with diabetes.

“It’s really good that (Sharli) gets to see that somebody that’s living with Type-1 doesn’t let it interfere with them or prevent them from chasing their goals,” Gavin said.

“To actually experience it and meet someone who’s playing sport at the elite level is a pretty strong endorsement of what we always tell her, that is, ‘You can do whatever you want and it won’t affect you’, I think that backs that up, which is really positive.

Gavin hopes McCartin can expose more people to diabetes and drive further understanding of the illness.

“I don’t think people truly understand the condition,” he said.

“Because you look healthy, people don’t realise what the complications are, and you don’t get that dealing with it is a 24/7, and you’re constantly monitoring and managing your sugar levels in your blood.”