Foundation steps in to fill insulin pump gap
THE Toowoomba Hospital Foundation has stepped in to provide a compassion insulin pump for an eight-year-old Toowoomba girl.
Recently diagnosed with type one diabetes, Talissa McLean received her own compassion insulin pump on Wednesday.
Donated by the foundation through the One Wish One Cure Committee, the compassion pump is designed for patients diagnosed with diabetes who are waiting for the arrival of their own device.
Insulin pumps are a small, battery-powered device that is worn on the outside of a patient’s body. They deliver insulin to the body via a fine needle inserted just below the skin. The pumps are designed to replace the often-traumatic daily practice of needles.
“There is a long process to order an insulin pump via the subsidised government program which means patients are often waiting a couple of months before receiving them,” diabetes nurse educator for Kids Care Diabetes Jo Voll said.
“The compassion pump fills this gap, and allows patients like Talissa, to start on the insulin pump within weeks of being diagnosed with type one diabetes.
“It also lessens the burden, to some degree, for families struggling to come to terms with the diagnoses of type one diabetes.”
The McLean family of three is well known to the Kids Care Diabetes team as Talissa’s brother was diagnosed with type one diabetes four years ago.
Donna McLean praised the Toowoomba Hospital for its support during both her children’s diagnoses and ongoing care.
Once Talissa’s pump arrives, the compassion pump will then be used by another patient while they wait for their own pump.