Childrens Type 1 Diabetes ongoing medical requirements

2 of my closest friends had a happy healthy daughter and were expecting their second child (a son), when their world was rocked. Lillian, at the age of 2 years, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Several stressful months adjusting to their new normal life of several blood glucose tests per day, before every snack or meal and multiple (3 minimum)) times a night just to ensure Lillian was receiving the correct dosage of insulin and she actually wakes up in the morning. This coupled with caring for a newborn was tough enough and then at 11months, and with a 6-8% chance... Marlow too was suffering from his pancreas shutting down from producing insulin. A short time later, he too was fully dependant on insulin in order to process carbohydrates in food.

These two children now have a life sentence of continuous blood glucose checks and administration of insulin just to stay alive, day and night as well as complex calculations of everything they eat to work out how much carbohydrate they consume and how much insulin is required.

Maintaining their blood glucose within the safe range is extremely difficult and with levels falling can cause ‘lows’ (hypoglycaemia) while high levels can cause ‘highs’ (hyperglycaemia). Long term effects of mismanaged Type 1 diabetes can include depression, blindness, cardiovascular conditions, loss of limbs, diabetic coma and of course death. Gemma and Chris now have a constant battle to just keep their kids alive, it’s that serious.

Technology (a continuous glucose monitor) exists to assist this struggling family, though the costs are not cheap (at least $20,000 per year for both kids) and is not subsidized by the government. This is the reason I have written this plea for assistance. Two children requiring tens of thousands of dollars worth of medical equipment annually and the care required not allowing the mother to return to work as expected has put further stress emotionally and of course financially on this young family.

This technology helps:

- Give these kids the best chance of a normal life and reduce the risk of long term complications

- The parents get some sleep as it alarms when the blood glucose levels are not in the safe range.

- Understand the impacts of food on blood glucose levels

- Able them to be proactive in adjusting insulin dosages before it gets to a dangerous situation

- Enable other people such as grandparents and preschool to look after these kids

- Give the parents peace of mind when the kids are playing with friends or when they go out as a family that everyone is safe.

For further information on type 1 diabetes please visit this website:

• www.diabetes.org.nz/home

For further information on the continuous glucose monitor please visit:

• https://www.dexcom.com/g5-mobile-cgm

Gemma has documented aspects of their journey with a blog that can be found here:

• www.diablognz.com

Please do not under estimate the value of your donation. Any donation would be so very much appreciated and go a long way to saving two young lives and helping them live as normally as possible with this life changing technology.