Writing sample: My Child Has Diabetes?

I'm applying for some freelance writing gigs, so I'll post the writing sample assignments that they give me. Here's the first, a 400 word article on childhood diabetes:

My Child Has Diabetes?

Perhaps the most frightening event in a parent's life is discovering that a child has, or may have, a life-threatening disease, such as diabetes. A thousand questions collide in your head. It is easy to swing from uncontrollable fears of worst-case tragedy to irrational hopes for instant cures. But children with diabetes usually can learn to manage their condition and live long, active, healthy lives.

Only about 0.2% of Americans under the age of 20 are diagnosed with diabetes. Diagnoses fall into two categories: Type 1 and Type 2.

Most children diagnosed have Type 1 diabetes, which used to be known as child-onset or juvenile diabetes. No one knows for sure what causes the onset of Type 1 diabetes, but the result is that the child's pancreas is unable to produce sufficient insulin to move glucose from the blood to the other cells of the body. Treatment is simple: injecting insulin into the body to supply what is lacking. In some cases, rather than periodic injections, a pump can provide a steady supply of insulin. In either case, both the child and caregiver must learn to recognize warning signs, and develop habits of regularly checking blood glucose levels and supplying appropriate amounts of insulin. With treatment and good self-care, a child with Type 1 diabetes can lead a normal and active life.

Although children with Type 2 diabetes make up less than a quarter of diagnosed cases, the incidence of Type 2 diagnoses are rising. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the cells in the body lose the ability to use insulin efficiently. This puts a strain on the pancreas, which can then lose its ability to produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is associated with inactive or sedentary lifestyles and obesity, among other factors. Treatment may include insulin or other medications, but certainly involves habits of self-care, such as healthy eating patterns, increased physical activity, and disciplined monitoring of blood glucose levels. All these steps help the body to use insulin and glucose more efficiently.

Although diabetes has no definitive cure, there are various promising avenues of research. In the meantime, diabetes has become a treatable condition through a combination of healthy diet and exercise, self-monitoring, and medication. Diabetes is a serious condition, but only becomes life-threatening if it remains unmanaged. As a parent, instilling regular habits of self-care is the most important step you can take to keep your child healthy, both now and throughout his or her life.