Tabua: Diagnosis Not End Of The World
Maraia Tabua, who was diagnosed with Type One diabetes at the age of 12, initially believed that she would not survive for long. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Type One diabetes is caused by the pancreas’s inability to produce insulin, and genetics is also a contributing factor.
Symptoms of the condition include frequent urination, tingling or numbness in the hands and feet, blurry vision, and stomach pain.
Ms Tabua, who is now 32, is a member of Diabetes Fiji. She recently spoke at a three-day workshop at the Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises & Development (FRIEND) Fiji in Lautoka, where she addressed women from the Vunato Settlement.
She shared that changes in eating habits and mindset helped her overcome the challenges of the disease, including losing her son in 2020 due to heart problems just three months and two weeks after his birth.
She recalled that during a school visit, doctors discovered her Type One diabetes.
Her family was initially unaware of the disease and did not take any action.
However, when they discovered how sick she was, they changed her diet.
It was a difficult adjustment for her family, as she was the only one with diabetes, and they had to cook separate meals for her.
She also had to take insulin injections twice daily. Ms Tabua was aware of the financial strain her diagnosis placed on her family and chose to stop taking insulin injections.
She instead controlled her sugar intake and stopped attending school in year 10.
She encouraged others who are struggling with the disease, stating that they were not alone and that support was available.