Meet two kids who fight diabetes with a smile
Dubai — Malaika Was Diagnosed With Type 1 Diabetes (t1d), An Autoimmune Disease With No Prevention Or Cure, Three Months After Her Sixth Birthday.
She Was Extremely Ill With A Blood Sugar Of Over 700 Mg/dl (normal Blood Sugar Range Two Hours After A Meal Is 140mg/dl), Had To Have Blood Tests Taken Every Hour And Was Put On A Drip To Supply Her Body With The Vital Fluids Needed For Survival.
“it Was A Very Traumatic Experience For Her And To This Day, She Is Terrified Whenever She Has To Have Her Blood Taken. But Despite Her Fear Of Needles, She Was Injecting Insulin By Herself Within A Week,” Said Her Mother Harriet Mountjoy.
Malaika Tries Not To Let Her T1d Slow Her Down From Doing Things She Enjoys, Like Climbing, Doing Handstands And Swimming.
A Month Ago, Malaika Was Diagnosed With Multiple Food Intolerances After Having Chronic Stomach Pain After Every Meal, So She Cannot Enjoy Many Of Her Favourite Foods Like Cheese, Peanut Butter, Eggs With Toast, Honey Cake, Shawarma, Chocolate And Ice-cream.
Although Having To Give Up Her Favourite Eats Is Very Difficult At Times, Malaika Has Accepted It With Incredible Maturity. This Month
It Is A Scary Thought That Your Child May Develop T1d, But Taking Them To The Hospital For A Quick Diagnosis And Early Treatment Can Avoid Them From Becoming Worse.”
Harriet Mountjoy
MALAIKA HAS BEEN RAISING awareness of T1D in school AND on PEARL FM, WHERE SHE was A guest speaker.
TALKING about how to DEAL with such A situation, HER mother SAID: “it is A scary thought that your CHILD may develop t1d, but taking them to THE hospital for A quick DIAGNOSIS AND early treatment CAN AVOID them from BECOMING worse. THE important THING is to GET them TREATED AND FEELING better as soon as possible. try AND stay calm to AVOID PANICKING your CHILD. type 1 CAN easily BE MISDIAGNOSED for THE flu.”
HARRIET SAID they used to explain to MALAIKA that SHE CAN still do all THE things SHE DID BEFORE AND THE only DIFFERENCE is that now SHE just HAS to CHECK HER blood sugar AND sometimes GET more rest or food, DEPENDING on what SHE is doing.
four-year-old PAKISTANI expat AARIZ ALI SHAIKH was also DIAGNOSED with T1D last year in june. “aariz was constantly LETHARGIC AND urinating frequently with fever. WHEN we took HIM to THE doctor,
Educate yourself on the different aspects of diabetes management. It is a manageable condition once you grasp the different facets that affect glucose levels.”
Nema Shaikh
HE SAID it was THE flu AND THE doctor PRESCRIBED flu MEDICATION. however, my DAD HAS DIABETES AND I knew THE frequent urination was strange AND ASKED for A blood glucose test,” aariz’s mother NEMA SHAIKH told khaleej times.
although SHOCKED AND SADDENED by THE news, HIS parents took CHARGE of THE situation AND DECIDED to MANAGE things together. “WE haven’t EXPLAINED what DIABETES is to AARIZ yet, BECAUSE HE is still too young to understand. HE is AWARE of THE BASIC symptoms AND tells us when HE is tired, when HE FEELS HIS sugar is low or reminds us to GIVE HIM THE insulin.”
THE best THING to do in such situation? “EDUCATE yourself on THE DIFFERENT aspects of DIABETES management,” SAID NEMA. “it is A MANAGEABLE condition once you grasp THE different FACETS that affect glucose levels. I must say that I was A lot more SCARED at first. but now we HAVE LEARNED more about it.”