Strictly Come Dancing favourite Nikita Kuzmin is frequently seen donning a white patch on his arm, which plays a crucial role in managing the health issue he was diagnosed with at the age of 13. Since gracing the dance floor of the hit BBC show in 2021, the professional dancer not only impressed audiences with his steps but has also taken the opportunity to raise awareness about Type 1 Diabetes, which he confronts every day following his diagnosis as an adolescent.
Now aged 26, Nikita speaks candidly about the “traumatic” experience that led to the discovery of his condition after a middle-of-the-night dash to the hospital by his concerned parents due to his alarming state of health. “It was quite traumatic because I was diagnosed in the middle of the night,” he confided to The Sun.
It was during this emergency visit, triggered by dangerously high blood sugar levels and a preceding week of feeling severely unwell, that the doctors confirmed he had Type 1 diabetes. Nikita, regularly glimpsed sporting a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) – the small white patch that constantly checks his glucose – recounted the critical moments: “It was literally like 2am when we arrived at the children’s hospital because my blood sugar levels were extremely high.”
He continued, “They were spiking, and I had been feeling very ill for about a week.”
Expressing gratitude towards his parents, he acknowledged, “I’m grateful to my father and mother for taking me to hospital, as they figured out that it might be diabetes.”, reports Birmingham Live.
Unlike Type 2 diabetes, which is often linked with ageing and excess weight, Type 1 diabetes leads to elevated blood glucose levels without such associations and is currently incurable.
Nikita keeps up his spirited fight against his life-long ailment while partnering with Olympian Sam Quek on the show.
“Even now, it’s still a daily battle,” Nikita revealed. “But, I feel like it’s my biggest superpower. There’s always a way to make things better, and thanks to my Dexcom G7 sensor, managing it is so much easier.”
Aside from his dazzling performances on Strictly Come Dancing, Nikita has made a name for himself on Celebrity Big Brother, where he finished in second place.