Edmond North’s Peeler hasn’t let diabetes slow her down
EDMOND — On a summer night last year, KK Peeler fell asleep alone in her bedroom. But when she woke up, she was surrounded by emergency personnel.
“I went into a diabetic coma because I went too low while I was asleep,” Peeler said. “I woke with like 11 ambulance people, getting my blood sugar right.”
But even though Peeler, a junior point guard from Edmond North, had a health scare, she knew her team had a big matchup against Putnam City West a few hours later, and she wasn't going to miss it for anything.
“I played right after that,” Peeler said with a smile.
The episode was the epitome of Peeler's will to play through adversity.
In fourth grade, when she was just 10 years old, Peeler was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes after getting sick and losing 15 pounds in one week. Having no other family members with the condition, Peeler has since had some growing pains. But even with everything against her, diabetes and her short stature, she plays basketball at a high level. And it's helped Edmond North earn a 22-0 record as it gears up to defend its 2022 Class 6A state title this postseason.
“She has been a mighty little girl with a warrior's heart,” said Dandy Peeler, KK's mother and Edmond North's principal. “One thing I challenge her to do every day is just to lead and be the example. And she makes sure that she models those things, whether it's fighting through Type 1 diabetes or being the smallest on the court, and coming with a fighter's heart. She's pretty special.”
Peeler is the starting point guard of the undefeated Huskies. She isn't the leading scorer or the one who grabs the most rebounds. But standing at just 5foot-4, Peeler has mastered the role of a traditional point guard. She does all of the little things in order to win.
Peeler averages 5.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game this season. She also shoots 41.7% from behind the 3-point line. With Laci Steele (NC State commit), Elle Papahronis (San Francisco), Allison Heathcock (Creighton) and Kate Melton joining her in the starting lineup, Peeler shows that it's not about her stats, it's about driving the offense and getting the ball into the right spots.
“She just overcomes that like a trooper,” Edmond North coach Pete Papahronis said of her diabetes. “She's just an amazing kid, she's a hard worker, she is coachable, she is my right-hand man. She's my coach on the floor.”
An eye for the game has been engraved in Peeler since she first picked up a basketball many years ago. Dandy, has been a basketball coach for Peeler's entire life. So, nothing was going to keep her off the court. Not even her diagnosis. It has never crossed her mom's, dad's, or her mind to quit.
“Technology has been amazing,” Dandy said, “with the things that they've come out with to help studentathletes that have that.”
Peeler wears a patch on her arm while she practices and plays games. It's a device that monitors her blood sugar levels and displays it on her phone, her coaches' phone and her parents' phones. If her blood sugar gets too high or too low, it alerts all of them. As long as she's 20 feet within her phone's radius, her system works properly.
“What she has right now is probably an older model,” Dandy said. “They've probably updated that. Every year I feel like they're coming with something new.”
Peeler admits playing on such a competitive team, causes her blood sugar to rise. Not only due to the rigorous practices that take place at Edmond North but also the adrenaline she produces while playing against some of the best teams in the state.
“After practice, it's sometimes a struggle,” Peeler said after Edmond North's win over Edmond Memorial on Tuesday. “Three and a half hours a day is a long time without insulin. Games like this and adrenaline definitely affect it.”
Even though she sometimes falls into diabetic comas when she sleeps, and the games raise her blood sugar, Peeler remains on the court as the top point guard on the team. For the junior, that's most likely not going to change. She's right where she's always wanted to be.
“If anyone knows KK, she is strong,” Dandy said. “So, one thing I always tell myself is God gave it to someone that can handle it. Ever since day one she has taken care of it individually. We support her, and we give her the things she needs, but she is a trooper.
“She fights through her lows, she knows when she needs to take care of herself. It's been a battle of adversity, but she's one to overcome for sure.”