A TEAM EFFORT
Helping your child with type 1 diabetes
Elizabeth Moreau and Matt DeAbreu know firsthand the emotional roller coaster that accompanies a type 1 diagnosis for a child. Moreau’s daughter was four and a half and DeAbreu’s son was five when they each received the news in 2013.
“It feels like your whole world is collapsing,” says Moreau. “It takes time to get used to it and understand what it all means, especially if you have no family connection to the disease. But type 1 doesn’t give you that time. You have to deal with it from minute one. That means dealing with how to keep your child safe and healthy, the changes it brings to your family, and how to come to terms with your own feelings.”
What helped from the outset was the support systems in place at hospitals, from Diabetes Canada and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation that assist families with a type 1 diagnosis, says DeAbreu.
“We received comprehensive instructions, information packages and even a teddy bear to help us and our child understand where in- sulin is to be administered.”
One of the first questions from the support group is about the school system in which a child is enrolled. This information helps connect parents to dedicated resources for their child. Moreau and DeAbreu both learned that neither of their school boards offered inclass support for children with type 1 diabetes; this at a time when they were still trying to come to terms with the diagnosis.
“It was a big shock. We were constantly worrying about how our child would be kept safe during the day,” says Moreau. It led her to seek out other parents, and she found many were in a similar situation. As a result, an advocacy group was formed to lobby and advise provincial governments and to develop resource tools.
One in 300 Canadian children has type 1 diabetes — about one student in every school in the country. They need a safe and supportive environment in which to monitor blood sugar, administer insulin and treat blood sugar fluctuations.
Today, through an initiative of the Canadian Paediatric Society, Diabetes Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Endocrine Group, a comprehensive suite of online resources is available at DiabetesAtSchool.ca.
The materials are designed to help educators and school staff understand type 1 diabetes and how to support children with the disease, and for parents to inform school personnel at all levels, including bus drivers, maintenance staff and teachers.
“There is information to meet the needs of all those who come into contact with these children throughout the school day,” says Moreau, who is also a communications professional with the Canadian Paediatric Society. “This is so important, especially in Ontario, where children as young as three years of age are now entering the school system.”
Stigma and isolation are additional challenges that may arise for children with the disease. “Our son has definitely communicated that he feels alone at times and that he wants to be like everyone else. He has the typical problems of a nineyear old, but this is added to it,” says DeAbreu. “Type 1 can takes its toll. It is a fully engaged activity that never turns off. The key is to com- municate and look for signals that he needs a break. That’s when we allow him a random day away from school, while ensuring it is not putting him behind.”
Diabetes Canada’s 12 Dcamps also help. Children with type 1 diabetes and family members engage as part of a broader connected community.
It is a program that has been embraced by both the Moreau and DeAbreu families.
Moreau’s daughter att ended a youth D- camp alone. “It was a positive and welcoming environment where she had fun and learned more about her diabetes by being around other children. She loved it and it is something she will definitely do again,” she says.
Because his son is somewhat introverted, DeAbreu opted for the family camp. “Watching him transition in just one weekend from a child on the outskirts of the group to one completely immersed was very rewarding,” he says. “Because many of the counsellors are also type 1, they understand what the children are going through and they speak the same language. Kids feel ‘ they get me, they know me.’ ”
IT FEELS LIKE YOUR WHOLE WORLD IS COLLAPSING. IT TAKES TIME TO GET USED TO IT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT ALL MEANS ... BUT TYPE 1 DOESN’T GIVE YOU THAT TIME. YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT FROM MINUTE ONE. THAT MEANS DEALING WITH HOW TO KEEP YOUR CHILD SAFE AND HEALTHY, THE CHANGES IT BRINGS TO YOUR FAMILY, AND HOW TO COME TO TERMS WITH YOUR OWN FEELINGS. — ELIZABETH MOREAU, MOTHER OF CHILD WITH DIABETES