I want her to be able to do whatever she wants with nothing stopping her

When Chloe was seven, she kept feeling unwell. She was tired all the time, wasn’t interested in her usual after-school clubs, and was going to bed early. Also, she kept saying she was thirsty at school, but they weren’t allowed their water bottles. Looking back at old photos, I can see that she’d got very skinny, too. 

One night, she drank two bottles of water in one go and I thought, ‘something is wrong.’ 

Learning to live with type 1 

I took her to the GP the next morning where they tested her urine and the doctor told me to go straight to A&E. Her blood sugars were high, but luckily, she wasn’t in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). They admitted her for a week while they figured out ratios and taught us about T1D, which was very overwhelming.  

After that, they let her out for one night to make sure we could cope, but I didn’t sleep. It was like having a newborn again. I was thinking, ‘I’ve got to keep her alive through the night.’  

How a new school changed our outlook 

While we were waiting for a pump, Chloe went into quite a dark place. The reality of the condition had hit her and she was fed up. She was getting bullied at school because of it. But after a couple of years, I moved her to another school. It was the best thing I ever did.

She had a great teacher who, before Chloe joined, told the whole class, ‘Our new student’s got type 1 diabetes. We need to look after her. She’s going to be allowed to eat sweets or snacks during class, but it’s to keep her alive’.  

I don’t think anyone thought of explaining it to the class at her old school. Before, she’d spend playtime all on her own. But this other school, all the kids were fighting over who would look after her. That really helped with her confidence.  

Just one month after joining, she went on a five-day school journey away from home. She’d never, since diagnosis, slept anywhere except home. They took eight staff members so that she could go. She was so excited because she was finally being included. While they were away, it was World Diabetes Day, and all the girls in her class painted their nails blue. 

Nothing holding her back 

Chloe having type 1 has made her more determined than ever. Last year, she was in the school production and we’ve recently done the One Walk in London which she raised £1700 for. 

Chloe added, “I do a lot of schools clubs, hockey, netball, dance, trampolining, choir, steel pans, and I am learning to play the clarinet, too. I do sometimes get frustrated if my blood sugars are going low or I am having  a hypo and I miss out on something. But there’s lots of opportunities to try different things at my school and the teachers are really encouraging. We had a sports awards evening and I got a certificate for netball and dance!” 

Advice and hopes for the future 

After diagnosis, parents go through a grief period for the loss of the life you and your child had before. But I would tell others that it’s not always going to feel like that. The first year is going to be the hardest, but then it’s going to become everyday life, and your child’s going to get stronger.  

When asked about living with T1D, Chloe said, “I wish more people were aware of T1D and the signs of it, how to help other people if they are in a hypo, and how to treat them.” 

Plus, her diabetes tech has made such a difference, going from a minimum of five injections a day to now being on the Omnipod. It’s less intrusive too. She can carry on with what she’s doing and we don’t have to interrupt her.   

Overall, I want Chloe to be happy. I want her to be able to do whatever she wants with nothing stopping her. And a cure one day would be nice, wouldn’t it?