Sea Eagles star Brett Stewart is a Snake charmer for diabetic kids

HE has injected himself about 30,000 times in the stomach to combat diabetes. Many proclaim Brett Stewart’s sheer brilliance. Few admire his raw courage.

Brett Stewart with 14 year old twin brothers Ryan and Jacob Lincoln. They are wearing Brett Stewarts necklace for diabetes; pictured at Narrabeen.

HE has injected himself about 30,000 times in the stomach to combat diabetes. Many proclaim Brett Stewart’s sheer brilliance. Few admire his raw courage.

Stewart yesterday spoke about injecting insulin four to five times a day for the past 17 years. It makes his remarkable rugby league achievements even more meritorious.

The Sea Eagles star fullback — nicknamed Snake — has confronted and conquered diabetes. Now he wants to help kids facing the same illness.

Stewart has helped produce a ‘snake’ pendant with proceedings being directed into the Sea Eagles Foundation, which will then channel funds into camps for kids with type one diabetes.

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“I have lived with diabetes for 17 years and I still have my challenging days. I still inject four to five times a day. I do it in my stomach,” Stewart said.

Brett Stewart with 14-year-old twin brothers Ryan and Jacob Lincoln who all suffer from diabetes. Picture: Annika Enderborg.

“I have always done it myself. It’s a routine, it’s important to have a routine. When I wake up and eat breakfast I inject. Then lunch, dinner time and sometimes a few more times, maybe before bed.

“It depends how many times I have eaten but it usually averages out to four or five times a day. The training helps as well. On a usual training day, my insulin is nearly halved just because of the energy I have exerted through sweating.

“The insulin basically lowers your sugar whereas your food intake puts your sugar up. Long story short, the insular basically counter-acts the food.

“There are always people saying they will find a cure but I have my head around the fact I will have it the rest of my life. At the moment it hasn’t stopped me doing anything. I keep looking at it that way.”

Manly and Stewart run the camps twice a year, the next being in January at the Royal Far West Children’s Hospital, Manly.

Brett Stewart’s snake pendant..

There have only been 240 pendants made, which were designed by Quorra Jewellery’s Justin Schwarz, with each selling for $190. Stewart’s name is engraved on the back and they can be bought on the Sea Eagles website.

“I have a little bum bag I take around (with the needles). The boys have a bit of a laugh when I take it away on overseas trips but I need to do it. That’s what I teach the kids — if you need to do it, you just do it,” Stewart said.

“I don’t think there are too many people around with diabetes in high profile sports so if I can use my name to the advantage of the illness then I am doing the right thing. We sat down and came up with the piece of jewellery — I think it has turned out pretty good actually.”

Stewart was joined yesterday by two young diabetes sufferers from the south coast, near where the Sea Eagles number one was raised. Twins Ryan and Jacob Lincoln, aged 14, spoke to Stewart about how NRL players cope with diabetes.

“I try not to let it affect me — I try and live the life I want,” Jacob said.