Dana Hill

While researching my son’s newly diagnosed diabetes I ran into some quotes and diabetes information about Dana Hill. I remember her from a couple of movies but didn’t know she died at a young age from diabetes complications.

Born in 1964, Dana Hill Goetz became an American actress and was known for her roles as Audrey in National Lampoon’s European Vacation. She also did voices for Jerry in Tom and Jerry and Max on Goof Troop. Diabetes stunted her growth and caused major diabetic complications and ultimately a stroke that took her life at the age of 32 in 1996.

Talking about her diabetes:

I was really mad at first. I didn't want to accept the restrictions. One day my dad mentioned that Mary Tyler Moore also suffered from diabetes. She could do everything I wanted to do-comedy, drama, dancing, singing. I've never met her, but she's been my idol ever since.

Diabetes is a degenerative disease. If you don't take care of it, you'll waste away and die. Still, for the first four years, I didn't care if I used sugar; I did whatever I wanted to. Although I gave myself two injections of insulin everyday, I denied to myself that I was sick.

I used the diabetes as my weapon. Of course, I was only hurting myself and making myself sicker, but I guess it was something I had to go through. I never went overboard so much that I really hurt myself, but my early teenage years were very tough.