I watched diabetes kill three siblings so know the signs you’ve hit the point of no return… it’s coming for the rest of us

No one expected Mary Ceron, 57, to die.

But one day at work, the type 2 diabetic and eldest sister among eight siblings, said she felt unwell and stepped out to rest in her car. An hour later, she was found slumped over the steering wheel, unresponsive.

‘It was like a bomb went off in our family,’ said youngest child David Ceron, 48. 

Just a year earlier, they had buried their oldest brother, Henry Ceron, who also died from diabetes-related illness. He was 52.

Henry’s decline had been slower – years of worsening symptoms, a left leg amputation below the knee and blurring vision – before he was bedridden in his final weeks.

The family lives in McAllen, Texas, which holds the grim title of America’s fattest city. With estimates suggesting 44.6% of adults are obese compared to a 40.3% national average, McAllen has held onto this title for seven years.

The Daily Mail met with David in McAllen while reporting on its obesity crisis. During the interview, he revealed another problem bubbling beneath the surface: a diabetes epidemic.

McAllen has among the highest rates of diabetes in the nation, according to the CDC  – 19.2% of Hidalgo county residents are diagnosed compared to 11.6% of people nationally.

David, who also works as an obesity activist, said his family’s tragic tale echoes that of many others in the town.

He explained how, any time he goes out to schools, raising awareness about healthy eating and exercise, there’s at least one child who says they have diabetes. 

David and all seven of his siblings have been diagnosed with diabetes. Three – the two eldest, Henry and Mary, and fourth-child Carmen – have died from the disease.

Three of the siblings have had amputations, while two have lost their vision.

Now, the disease is seeping into the next generation – with two of the 11 nieces and nephews diagnosed.

For one nephew, now in his 30s, the disease has already started to claim his eyesight.

David also has diabetes, which he is trying to reverse through diet changes (drinking water instead of soda) and lifestyle shifts (going for regular 30-minute walks in the local mall).

He is organizing a 250-mile walk from McAllen to San Antonio in November to raise awareness for the disease and encourage people to get moving. 

His weight has dropped from 245 lbs to 175 lbs, and David said he feels healthier. His daughter, Hannah, is thrilled with his success.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body becomes resistant to the hormone insulin, which works to remove sugar from the bloodstream. It’s often linked to factors like an unhealthy diet, excess weight and a lack of exercise.

If left uncontrolled, high sugar levels in the blood can damage blood vessels and nerves over time, triggering complications like blindness, sexual dysfunction and tingling in the limbs.

Patients may also suffer from poor circulation, reducing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the extremities, raising the risk of infections and, in severe cases, amputations.

In McAllen, many patients cannot afford to see doctors or purchase the drugs needed to help manage their disease. 

Data shows about 70% of people in the city have health insurance, compared to 92% nationally.

David’s mother, Gregoria, brought her family to the US from Mexico in the 1970s for a better life – McAllen is just north of the border. Gregoria lived well into her 90s.

They were desperately poor in their childhood – the family of nine lived in a one-room home – and cash was often in short supply.

But David said they were never hungry, with stacks of tortillas, refried beans and other Mexican staples always on the table growing up. The fridge was also regularly loaded with high-sugar Kool-Aid to drink.

After the children went to college and got their own jobs, they found they could afford many foods previously out of reach – like pizza and hamburgers – and went wild.

They quickly became overweight.

None became morbidly obese, but that doesn’t matter for diabetes. While being overweight is a risk, the disease can strike thin people as well. 

The condition is all about how the body processes sugar. Factors like hidden fat around the organs, genetics and low muscle mass can all raise the risk, regardless of body size.

Within the next decade, all eight of the children had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

About 38 million Americans have diabetes – more than 90% of cases are type 2, which is generally caused by lifestyle factors.

The rest live with type 1 diabetes – when the body cannot absorb sugar from the blood because the immune system has mistakenly attacked and destroyed the cells responsible for making insulin.

An additional 98 million Americans (one in three adults) have prediabetes, meaning their blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2.

Many of David’s family members have tried to reverse their disease. They’ve made lifestyle changes – like walking more and banishing high-sugar foods from their diets – and have started relying on medication.

The Texas summer heat often leaves them feeling too exhausted to cook, and the kids in the family refuse to eat salads, so changing diets permanently has proven to be a challenge.

Henry, the eldest son and first sibling to die, was athletic when he was younger and played on the local soccer team. 

But after getting married, having five children and becoming a manager at a major grocery store chain, his health was pushed to the wayside. He abandoned the steps he was taking to fight the disease, David said.

Henry was on dialysis and medications after being diagnosed in his mid-30s. But then, a cut on his foot got infected and led to toe, foot and then below-the-knee leg amputations. 

By the end, he was bedridden, but David said he still had a smile on his face and was always asking other people how they were.

When it came to Mary, David said doctors warned her that her diabetes was out of control and told her, if she didn’t change her diet immediately, it would lead to death. 

The doctors also recommended a medication for her that was out of her budget.

David said he met Mary at a restaurant a few days before she died. She was in tears, he remembered, saying she wouldn’t be able to afford the medication.  

Within a month and a half, she gave up on the doctor’s prescribed diet. 

‘I want to say that this is the only time I have seen someone literally give up right in front of me,’ David told the Daily Mail. 

‘I saw her eating something she shouldn’t have been, and told her, “Didn’t the doctor tell you not to eat that?” And she broke out in tears and said, “David, I can’t do that anymore.”‘

In 2014, a decade after Mary’s death, their sister Carmen also died. 

She had been battling diabetes for 13 years, but managed it with medications while working two jobs as an ER nurse.

Over time, her condition deteriorated, leaving her needing a partial amputation to her right foot. She then became legally blind, losing the middle area of her vision.

By the end, she was mostly confined to a wheelchair and was heartbroken that she couldn’t visually see her grandchild. David said she was ‘ready to go.’

Another sister Martha, 62, is now losing her vision, too. 

David has hope that the next generation of the family will not develop diabetes.

Many of the children are much more active and health-conscious than their parents, he said. Some have even been known to grab sugary snacks out of their parents hands, saying they are not allowed to eat it.

It’s also become a more public-facing issue throughout the years, with McAllen authorities putting in effort to try reversing the city’s obesity trend. 

The town participates in public health initiatives, and every year since 2013, it has hosted its own marathon. There have also been efforts from town officials to combine walking and hiking trails in and around the area to get more people outside.

Still, the town’s obesity rate continues to rise – a CDC survey found an 11% increase 2010.