By RODNEY HART

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

It looks like a beeper or small television remote control. It attaches to the back of Mike McGilton's shorts. It's unobtrusive, though he gets asked about it a lot from his fellow golf competitors and curious onlookers.

It's an insulin pump. And it has changed the 12-year-old Arizona boy's life.

This is no ordinary boy, mind you. Not every 12-year-old can proudly tell you he's helped set up a non-profit foundation for juvenile diabetes research.

McGilton is competing in this year's Pepsi Little People's Golf Tournament at Arrowhead Heights Golf Club in Camp Point. A Type 1 diabetic for five years, he received the pump two years ago.

He still monitors his blood sugar and tests his blood eight to nine times per day. But the pump helps deliver insulin when needed and frees the polite and always-grinning youngster to live more independently.

"It makes it easier. I can go to my friend's house, and it's easier out on the golf course," Mike said Monday, while caddying for his 4-year-old sister, Malia, at the Knights of Columbus par 3 course.

Mike, his two sisters and parents made the 24-hour drive from Chandler, just outside Phoenix, to play in the Pepsi Little People's event. He was last in Quincy in 2003 and finished third in his division.

"My short game," he said, when asked what will be a key for him this week. "I've been practicing and playing pretty well."

"He definitely has a lot of confidence," says his proud mother, Luci McGilton.

Mike gets asked a lot about his pump.

"One kid I played with didn't even know what diabetes was," he said.

Yet he answers the questions without hesitation and considers it part of his responsibility.

With the help of his parents, Mike has organized "Strokes For Little Folks" to raise money to benefit children's charities. A recent golf club raffle netted $2,500 for juvenile diabetes research. Mike's other sister, Maria, 15, is also a good player but has been sidelined with wrist injuries.

When Malia was born, Mike's parents stored her cord blood with hopes a cure will be found and the cord blood can be used.

The pump has made life easier for young Mike and his family, but diabetes is a daily, hourly and often minute-by-minute battle.

"There are times when he goes down too low and gets too high (with blood sugar levels)," Luci McGilton says. "It affects him on the golf course because then he can't see."

Other than going to bed early each night, Mike says he doesn't do much differently. On Monday he played a practice round in Camp Point, then came back to the Knights of Columbus course to caddy for little Malia.

His blood sugar was low before she teed off, so he had to rest and eat before lugging her bag.

Mike has been playing since age 3, when he joined his father on a trip to a golf store before going to the driving range.

"I started swinging and I liked it," he says.

His handicap is 6 for 18 holes and he's won many prestigious tournaments, as well as the sportsmanship award in 2006 and 2007 from the Junior Golf Association of Arizona.

He lists Mike Weir, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as his favorite players.

"Me too!" chimes in little Malia, after putting out on the second hole.

After her practice round finished, Maria had an announcement.

"I won!" she said excitedly.

So has your brother and family, Malia.

-- rhart@whig.com/221-3370-