Michael Custer, 6, also has diabetes. When he found out his favorite idol had an insulin pump just like his, he had to see it. He and his mom, Patti Custer, had a bet going about what color it would be. When Crystal was in town, they headed out to try and figure it out.
Michael did find out, and he has the picture to prove it. He met the singer at a promotional appearance. "I think she said something like, 'We love our insulin pumps don't we?'," he remembers.
Brendon Imhoof also got the chance to meet Crystal. "He was diagnosed at age one, and for her to be such an inspiration, tell him to take care of himself, means more than you can imagine," says Brendon's mom Laurie Imhoof.
In a recent interview, Crystal said that if she wins she would start a clinic to treat juvenile diabetes. "That's my goal ... People should never go without insulin. In my life, at points, I've begged for insulin outside of pharmacies, and no one should ever have to do that," she said.
That spirit is why, first place or second, Crystal is already an idol to many who are living with diabetes.
