Will Macleod
Team Morgan swim the channel - and back!
Fundraising for Diabetes UK
Story
Thirty years ago, our lives changed forever when Will was diagnosed with diabetes. Four years ago, it happened again when Elle was rushed into intensive care with the same condition. Nothing would be the same for her again.
Below is our story but before we go there, and for those that want to know why we've emailed, it's because we will be swimming the length of the channel (22 miles!) and back (another 22 miles!) as a trio over three months to raise vital funds for Diabetes UK. It's a massive challenge in support of a cause that's close to our hearts, and your support will help us to get there. If you feel inspired to donate, brilliant - thank you so much. You can do so below. And if you would like to know more about why we are doing this, please read on.
Thank you so much for your support,
Team Morgan xx
Will's story...
After being ill, losing weight and his usual smile, Will was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. This changed everything- for him and for the family. Meal times, holidays, school trips, sleepovers, playing in the park and concentrating at school; doing normal things became frustrating and hard. It was a shock that we weren't prepared for, and all we could do was try our best to help Will live as normal a life as possible.
After a while we got used to it as a family, reconciling ourselves to rigid routine, high bloods and hypos, and trying hard not to think about the long term impact of diabetes on life chances and life expectancy. Diabetes changes everything for the worse and growing up with it is horrible. The easy things become a struggle and you have to deal with unknowns and feeling rubbish on a daily basis. But Will didn't let diabetes hold him back and we slowly all took diabetes in our stride.
Then four years ago, it happened again. Perhaps we should have been prepared but we weren't and it came as an awful, heartbreaking shock. After an exhausting Christmas and feeling run down for weeks, Ellie was admitted to hospital with life threatening DKA. Acid in her blood was breaking it down and she remained in acute care for days before returning home with the same diagnosis Will had been given almost 30 years before.
Ellie's story...
I have Type 1 Diabetes. That means my pancreas is completely broken. Because of this I take between 5 and 7 injections every day. That’s around 2000 injections last year. Turns out your pancreas is quite important. Who knew?
At the heart of each day is a complex balancing act. I prick my finger to test my blood sugar levels a minimum of 5 times per day. As well as taking two base shots daily, I administer my own insulin according to what carbs I am taking on, and what exercise, activity and thinking I am doing. While the flexibility this afford is good, it is hard to manage.
When my blood sugar levels are too low, I have hypos which are frightening and dangerous. When they are high I feel rubbish and cannot think straight. There are a plethora of long-term health risks and complications associated with Type 1 Diabetes too. Which is fun.
Alongside these upsetting and irritating things, I often experience ill-informed and judgemental comments from those who do not understand the condition I have, and who conflate it with Type 2 Diabetes which is a very different disorder. That’s pretty annoying.
I am very lucky to have the best support from my partner and family (my older brother Will has been diabetic since the age of 5 so he’s something of a pro). Medicines and understandings of the disease are improving all the time too. Maybe soon I’ll get contact lenses that shoot people evils when they’re talking nonsense. Actually, I’m not sure I need them…
Of course it’s important to recognise the NHS professionals who have helped me along the way, too, from those who looked after me when I was admitted to hospital in a critical position 4 years ago, to those who do my regular blood, liver, eye, feet etc etc etc etc check ups. It is impossible to imagine what I would do without them. Not to mention the free medicine which keeps me going.
Despite all this, Ellie remains positive, and is a role model to so many people, her brother included. Together with our mum, who has nurtured and encouraged us throughout, we're facing our diabetes head on.
To show this once and for all, between 22nd Feb - 22nd May, we are swimming to France and back in our local swimming pool - a total of 44 miles. We've never done anything like this before and it's a massive challenge but we know it's worth it to prove that we can and to raise vital funds for the 11.9m people at risk of and 4.5m people living with Diabetes across the UK.
Diabetes UK works to prevent and cure diabetes, and support people like us living with the condition. They save and change lives every day - spearheading new research, providing emotional and practical help, and reaching people who are at risk of developing diabetes before it's too late. We are so proud to be swimming the distance in support of their vital work.
But we need your help to do this! As family, colleagues and friends who know us so well, you will appreciate what this means to us and how hard we will work to make your donation count. Please sponsor us to help fight diabetes and give us a great reason to swim the extra mile.
Thank you from us all and here's to us getting to France and back! We start on 22nd Feb and you can track our progress here: https://swim22.diabetes.org.uk/team/231
