Jeff's Half Marathon run for Holly & Type 1 Diabetes Foundation

This is the story of our beautiful daughter Holly who was diagnosed at 6 1/2 years of age with Type 1 Diabetes.

Holly is my true inspiration in life as she faces this very scary battle every minute of every day living with Type 1 Diabetes.

Unfortunately, very little is understood in the public domain about Type 1 Diabetes, as it’s often confused with Type 2 Diabetes. The constant daily struggles associated wIth managing T1D is not easy. This is not just what we experience with my daughter Holly but also more broadly the impact it has on families, whose lives are literally turned upside down because of Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes is a dangerous life threatening condition where the pancreas no longer produces insulin, so insulin must be given via multiple injections daily or with use of a pump. We don’t know what causes T1D and sadly for now there is currently no cure!

Generally most people think Type 1 Diabetes is simple to manage and no big deal... you have something to eat, you give yourself a jab of insulin and you get on with your day. Simple as that. This is what I indeed also thought prior to my daughter being diagnosed two years ago. This unfortunately could not be further from the truth, Type 1 Diabetes management is complicated, unpredictable and involves 24/7 care. T1D means multiple finger pricks to monitor blood sugar levels, 5-6 insulin injections every day, constant carb counting & meal planning every day!! Even with so much planning blood sugars are still unpredictable and can be extremely difficult to manage especially while Holly is so young and still growing.

As parents you live in constant fear of the risk of a hypo where blood sugar levels can dip to dangerously low levels which can cause seizures or even death. We also know that high blood sugars can cause her to feel very unwell in the short term and if not managed correctly the long term complications for Holly can be devastating to health later in life.

When Holly was diagnosed we knew it would change our life’s and Holly’s forever but the impact it has actually had has been profound. We could have never anticipated the ups and downs we have experienced.

While Holly has been generally accepting of new way of life it’s still a struggle and hard for even us to accept at times. Type 1 Diabetes has come with significant changes for Holly in her life and with that she has developed terrible anxiety about managing her T1D, something which no child should have to go through.

When Holly was diagnosed we received education sessions on Diabetes, what it is, how to manage it and how to give your child a needle. In reality the extreme pressure that we as parents face daily in ensuring we give the correct insulin dose to maintain optimum blood glucose target levels is high. We need to be knowledgable on every aspect of Type 1 Diabetes to keep our daughter safe.

T1D means interrupted sleep patterns for us & Holly which has been challenging. Holly doesn’t wake if she’s low so our job as parents is to keep her safe at night.. 2am night time checks to treat or prevent night time low blood sugars is not a choice it’s now essential.

Holly often needs a lot of attention from us and the impact this can have on the family unit is stressful. Holly is lucky to have 2 very supportive brothers but the juggle of ensuring we are giving our other 2 children the love and attention they deserve also if often challenging.

Managing T1D is also often difficult juggling work commitments and it’s hard some days to find the right work/life balance! Holly has needed many days of school due to medical appointments, and being unwell and we are often contacted frequently while Holly is at school for advice with insulin dosing and blood sugar levels through the day. It never stops.

Type 1 Diabetes has certainly presented Holly & our family many challenges since her diagnosis but we are constantly trying to gain the knowledge we need to do the best we can for Holly and set her up for a long, happy and healthy future. We are so proud of how Holly has accepted T1D despite the challenges, she is our little super star!

Thank you so much for reading our experiences with Type 1 Diabetes so far, please pledge to this amazing foundation who provide support to people with Type 1 Diabetes and their families.