DIABETES DOESN’T HOLD PEYTON BACK
SCHOOLGIRL Peyton Louien was never going to let the shock diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes prevent her from doing all the things she loved – and more.
With the help of her parents, the nine-year-old documents her active life and journey living with the condition to more than 1300 followers on Instagram.
She hopes the “online diary” will shatter any stigma of the condition while also being living proof that a diagnosis does not have to mean the end of life as it once was.
Dad Nick Louien said the family only learned of
Peyton’s diagnosis three years ago when she was raced to hospital when her body started to “shut down”.
“In the weeks leading up to that she was very skinny and underweight, the more she ate the more weight she’d lose,” Mr Louien said.
“She was very lethargic, constantly falling asleep on the way to basketball … as a seven-year-old. It was abnormal and she was always dehydrated.”
He said the diagnosis proved an enormous learning curve, but they refused to let it rule their lives.
“It changed our lives more dramatically than I think people would realise. Peyton’s mum and I weren’t really aware of Type 1 diabetes. It’s a 24-hour-a-day management. You have to overhaul lifestyle and diet.”
It was that experience that prompted the family to launch the social media page, hopeful they might help others in a similar situation.
“You can definitely live a normal life with Type 1 diabetes, that’s probably the really positive message,” Mr Louien said.
Peyton, who takes part in representative basketball, urged children with the condition to embrace their new lifestyle. “Don’t be embarrassed … it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” she said.
You can follow Peyton on Instagram