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Back in February, our youngest child became very ill over a period of a couple of weeks.  She just kept getting worse and worse until her breathing was so laboured and heavy, we took her to the hospital.  We stayed for 5 days.  She was suffering from Type 1 diabetes which left untreated, meant her blood had become poisonous. 

Nothing could have predicted Sophie's onset.  Sometimes, following a viral infection of some sort, the immune system suddenly sees the insulin producing cells as a threat and begins to attack them. Once this process starts, it can't be stopped. And once these cells are gone, they're gone forever.

So Sophie's body no longer prodcues insulin, which regulates the sugar in her blood.  If it's too high, long term damage occurs to all kinds of organs.  If high for too long, she becomes ill like before, in February.  If it's too low she could lose consciousness, fit and possibly even fall into a coma or die.  Since her diagnosis, we have been injecting Sophie with appropriate levels of insulin after every meal and before bedtime. We also test her blood via finger pricks up to 12 times a day. Recently, Sophie has been given an insulin pump which she must not detach from herself for longer than an hour at a time.  We're told it will make a big difference to her life, once we properly understand how it works.

I wanted to do something that might help make a difference.  Diabetes UK provide extensive care, support, information and advice for diabetes sufferers and their families.  They also contribute to vital research into the future of treatment.  Perhaps in a few years, with continued work and investment from charities like Diabetes UK, sufferers of the condition might one day be able to forget they've even got it.

In many ways, we're lucky - Sophie is so young, she will never know any different.  But she will always have to be aware of what she eats, what she drinks, her sleep, exercise and infections - all the things that affect her blood sugar levels.  And she'll never be able to go anywhere without the ability to administer insulin or test her blood sugar level.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to Diabetes UK.