Few stories can be as dramatic as that of the 1999 Miss America, Nicole Johnson. At the age of 19, she was rushed into the ER of a hospital, her body in shock, apparently close to death from unknown causes. The doctors discovered that Nicole had diabetes. That's not the end of the story. Nicole Johnson went on to win the Miss Virginia pageant, and then the Miss America pageant, and to become the most powerful spokeswoman in America for the early detection and treatment of diabetes. Nicole Johnson -- whose diabetes requires her to wear an insulin pump, and to do eight finger-stick tests a day to monitor her blood sugar levels -- is stunning proof that diabetes doesn't have to destroy lives. With proper diet, exercise, medicine, and attitude, it is possible to make diabetes an inconvenience rather than a tragedy. Here is a moving story of personal triumph -- and a prescription for how to tame a disease that afflicts millions and is doubling among children.