On the surface, there is nothing particularly different about Chase Hobbis.

He's just like most other nine-year-olds: he's a defenceman in hockey, likes playing with his friends, and enjoys swimming.

There is one difference though.

Chase has Type 1 diabetes.

During a hockey game, he has to prick his finger and put a drop of blood on his blood sugar meter. He has to do the same thing before he has his after-school snack, then carefully record how many carbohydrates were in the sesame snaps he just ate.

Chase was diagnosed with diabetes when he was six years old while the family was on vacation visiting Disneyland in Los Angeles.

'He got sick pretty much overnight,' Chase's dad, Russ, recalled in an interview with the Star this week.

'I was throwing up and wetting the bed like constantly,' says Chase.

By fluke, the family ended up taking Chase to the Children's Hospital of Orange County, the best facility for juvenile diabetes in California.

Over the next few days, Chase lost six of his 45 lbs. The doctors who treated him laid out the worst-case scenarios for his parents. Those included loss of consciousness and brain swelling.

'I was beyond devastated,' says Russ. 'I was an absolute mess; not only was my son sick, but we're not even in the country.'

Russ stayed with his son 22 hours a day and didn't sleep for the next 36 hours.

'After the first night, the little kid next to Chase died, not from diabetes,' he remembers. 'It kind of put it in perspective and snapped me back into reality.'

Chase wasn't about to die but Type 1 diabetes is incurable. Chase left the hospital four days later but the Hobbis family was changed forever.

'There's nothing we can do to make this better. Children with Type 1 diabetes are insulin-dependent for life; they can't outgrow it,' explains Russ.

'Your life changes overnight. This disease comes out of nowhere; there's no predicting it.'

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas stops making insulin, which the body uses to store and process glucose. Glucose is the body's fuel source. Over the long term, diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and impotence.

Chase can still do everything most other kids can do but there are some limitations. Like pricking a finger several times a day so he can get a drop of blood on his blood sugar tester. Or changing the site where the needle from his insulin pump is stuck in his body so it doesn't get infected.

'He loves to go outside and play (but) Chase has to take his kit everywhere he goes; he has to have a blood sugar meter and blood glucose tablets,' explain Jenn, Chase's mom.

The youngster also has to carefully monitor his diet. Every time he eats, even a small snack, he has to record the amount of carbohydrates in the food and have his mom calculate the necessary adjustments to his insulin intake.

He also has to check his blood during and after extended periods of exercise.

Insulin pumps are one of the more recent and useful innovations for people living with diabetes. Instead of regular injections of fast- and slow-acting insulin, an insulin pump provides a constant supply of fast-acting insulin through an intervenous tube stuck in the body for three days at a time. Every three days, the needle has to be moved to avoid infection.

'There's always something new to learn,' says Jenn. Like when they were first introduced to the idea of Chase using an insulin pump rather than the insulin pens they were used to. (Insulin pens are a form of needle that has a dial to select specific amounts of insulin.)

The Hobbis family has also had to learn about blood sugar meters, a great deal about nutrition and all the math to figure out how much insulin Chase will need to process the carbohydrates in his food.

The boy still needs to call in to his mom and tell her his blood sugar count during lunch break so she can calculate his insulin. He knows how to adjust the pump himself and will soon be able to do the calculations as well.

There are some limitations a kid with diabetes has to put up with. Like having your parents nearby, or being well aware of what you are doing all the time.

'He's gotta phone me from his friend's house when he gets there and call us when he leaves because if he's not back in 10 minutes, I gotta look for him,' explains Russ.

And when Chase went to a birthday party at the Canada Games Centre, his parents were there too, out of sight, but not with Chase out of mind.

'He's not allowed to walk to school, or home by himself . They just don't have that freedom, not at this stage,' explains Jenn.

The main concern is Chase's blood sugar will drop too low, a state called hypoglycaemia. When that happens, Chase feels weak and nauseous. If the blood sugar level gets too low, he could lose consciousness or have a seizure.

Chase knows first-hand that all that testing and recording bring up a lot of questions for his friends and classmates. That's one reason he stood in front of his whole class in Grade 2 to tell them all about diabetes and what all the needles and finger-pricking were about.

'Because if I didn't do a presentation, everyone would be asking me all the time and surrounding me,' explains Chase.

At school, Chase also sees other kids in his class sneaking gummy bears and other snacks in their desks, but he doesn't even consider it. Asked if he ever snuck food, Chase scoffed at the suggestion.

'Chase is really bright and understanding,' says Mom, matter-of-factly. 'He's so responsible.'

Part of the reason for that is the practice the Hobbis family has made in involving Chase in every aspect of his illness. When the Hobbis family flies to B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver to meet with the doctor every six months, Chase is in on every meeting and discussion.

And those trips aren't free. While the Yukon government will pay for one parent and Chase to fly, other expenses like hotels, meals and taxis can add up pretty quickly.

Those costs are even higher for the Byers family, whose three-year-old, Cole, was diagnosed with diabetes in January 2004.

Marilee Byers, Cole's mom, was also overwhelmed when she found out Cole has diabetes. She says the disease forced 'some pretty big lifestyle changes.'

For her, one of the hardest things to deal with is the long-term effects of diabetes.

'When I read and see the long-term effects, I mean, you can manage it as best you can but those are still waiting for you down at the end . It's hard to think about that for your kids, especially when they're so little.'

That is part of the reason the Byers and Hobbis families want everyone to know about the Walk to Cure Diabetes, the major annual fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Last year was the first time the event has ever been held in Whitehorse. It raised just under $10,000.

'Last year, Chase alone raised $1,000,' says Jenn.

'This year, I want to raise $2,000,' adds Chase.

The walk attracted 45 participants last year. This year, the Hobbis family is hoping for more. So far, support from the Whitehorse community has been solid.

'The local businesses have been just awesome,' says Jenn.

Chase's school has also been very supportive. His principal even put a notice about the walk into the school's newsletter.

This year's trek will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 28 at Rotary Peace Park.

If you would like to participate in the walk, call Araica McPhee (456-7143) or register online at wwww.jdrf.ca

There are pledge forms at the Royal Bank, both Shoppers Drug Marts and Main Designs Hair Styling.