Mashantucket — Both of her parents had diabetes. Her grandmother lost both legs to the disease.
So, Heather Mars-Martins, a member of the Narragansett Indian Tribe and a longtime employee of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, grew up skinny, eating as naturally as possible, following what she called “an ancestral way of life.” Mindful of the importance of fitness in keeping the disease at bay, she participated in track and field and cross country.
“You think you’re doing everything right ...,” she said.
But when Mars-Martins woke up one day in 2003, her vision was blurry. The eye doctor asked her how long she’d been diabetic. Her primary doctor ordered tests that confirmed she had type 2 diabetes.