SOUTH POINT — Breana Graves is only 10 years old, but already the South Point Elementary student knows what it’s like to cope with an adult disease.

Recently Breana was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and must endure a regimen of insulin shots daily to keep the disease under control.

Now friends of Breana’s mother, Alissa Deeds, want to make living with diabetes a little easier for Breana by raising money to cover part of the cost of buying the girl an insulin pump. The pump is another method for Breana to get the much-needed insulin without multiple injections.

“I went to school with her mother, Alissa, at South Point High,” Cheranda Akers said.

Now the classmate wants to help out her friend.

On Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. Akers and Gina McKee, owner of Cheer Factory in Ironton, are teaming up to have a Zumba marathon with the proceeds going toward the purchase of the insulin pump.

Participants can pay $5 for the entire session or any part of it and learn the dance-exercise moves from instructor Jessica Jarvis.

“You can show up whenever you want to,” Akers said. “Normally you pay a lot more for a class like $3 an hour.”

Already friends of Deeds have raised $500 from a bake sale and a spa party.

Also at the Zumba event handmade hair bows and streamers will be sold for $10 and $6 respectively.

The Cheer Factory is located at 310 S. Third St., Ironton.

“It makes me feel good to be able to help somebody else,” Akers said.