I asked my good friend Deborah to write the very first guest blog post for Becoming Me in honour of her daughter Mary Kathryn, on the 2nd anniversary of her death. She was six years old. I want to help make the world aware of the dangers of Juvenile Diabetes and get parents informed on a topic that is so very important, and so near and dear to my heart.
Without further ado, here are Deb’s words … Thank you, Deb.
Until February 1st, 2009, I had a daughter whose name was Mary Kathryn. I say, “had”, but that’s not really true as she’ll always be my daughter, it’s just that now she waits for me in a better place. Separate, but never really apart, because she will always be in my heart.
When our daughter was diagnosed with the sudden onset of Juvenile Diabetes, I didn’t really know what it was and had no clue what the signs and symptoms were. I knew about the thirst. I think everyone knows that one, but I was also operating under the misguided assumption that to be at risk for diabetes, there has to be a history of the disease in your family. That, however, is not the case.
From the moment my daughter was diagnosed and shortly thereafter succumbed to the illness, a Juvenile Diabetes advocate was born out of the ashes of the dreams that my daughter and I had shared for her life and the dreams that “I”, like every other parent, has for their child’s life. Much as the mythological creature, the Phoenix, dies and is reborn from the ashes of the fire that consumed it, I died the day my daughter died and I was reborn a different creature.
Her story, which is subsequently mine as well, is not about saying, “Look, I survived the loss of my only daughter. Look at me!” Our story is about trying to save other lives and bringing about awareness of an insidious disease that can come on very suddenly and is even more dangerous, because it masks itself as other more benign illnesses, such as a stomach virus, flu like symptoms and even sinus infection.
A parent’s first line of defense against Juvenile (type 1) Diabetes is education coupled with vigilance. Unfortunately, Juvenile Diabetes can mimic other common childhood illnesses, so it’s very important to pay attention to the symptoms that your child is exhibiting. If your child exhibits any of these symptoms do not hesitate to take them to your doctor.
Recognized Signs and Symptoms of Juvenile Diabetes
- Rapid Weight Loss- is often the most noticeable symptom.
- Extreme thirst – is not unusual in children, especially in warm weather. Also, once children are old enough and tall enough get water themselves it can be difficult to monitor their fluid intake.
- Frequent urination – this becomes more obvious to parents if traveling with children, but just around the home it can be difficult to spot.
- Eye Sight or Vision Changes – should not be attributed to too much time in front of the television or computer screen.
- Sweet smelling breath- may be noticed by parents, but can just as easily be attributed to something the child has eaten.
- Increased appetites- may be evident, but of course children are growing and can have large appetites.
- Lack of energy or even drowsiness – unless excessive, may go unnoticed. Many children now lead very sedentary lifestyles and lethargy may simply not be noticed.
- Heavy, labored breathing – another symptom which can be masked by any number of respiratory problems which seem to be more prevalent in children (i.e. asthma).
Education is our only weapon in combating this disease. In the end as parents, our most precious gift is our children. Our wealth is not in the amount of money we have or our possessions, it’s in the lives of the children with which we’ve been entrusted. Whether they’re our own children or those that we’ve been fortunate enough to have been allowed the time to share in their lives, children mold us every bit as much as we try to mold them and they leave an indelible mark on our lives that will forever remain.
The only thing that would really give a Type 1 sufferer safety, is a CURE. In just the last week, I’ve found out about 6 young people who died from this disease from low sugar levels! I had already been aware of numerous others, but 6 in just one week?!?!
I had kicked myself and thought, if we had only gotten Mary Kathryn help soon enough, she would have been safe! The disease is manageable! But sadly, there is no safety with a diagnosis of Type 1/Juvenile Diabetes. More parents are losing their children…more hearts broken and lives shattered every day! Where is the justice in that? When 33 new cases of Juvenile Diabetes is diagnosed EVERY day in the US alone, where’s the urgency to find the cure?!
For further information about our story, please visit this site: Sudden Onset Juvenile Diabetes
