Every Child Matters - Children with Diabetes

♦A parent’s letter sent to a school about an incident:I am writing to you about an incident that took place this afternoon in the year7 drama club. I went to collect my daughter and was met by one of her friendswho told me my daughter was ‘hypo’ (i.e. hypoglycaemic, a dangerously lowblood sugar requiring immediate action) in ‘the pit’ where they have Dramaclub. When I arrived there she was sat alone. It seems that she tried to tell theteacher she was hypo but the teacher would not listen. My daughter had askeda friend to find her some Lucozade, as she didn’t have any with her: the friendrefused, as she didn‘t want to miss the final game being played. She askedanother friend who agreed to go to the PE office where my daughter hassupplies. The friend was told by staff there, that they did not have any diabeticsupplies for my daughter (although they had been there earlier in the dayduring Ellie’s PE lesson).They offered her some coke and apple juice which she took to Ellie. In themeantime the drama teacher and other students left.I am very concerned that the drama teacher did not realise how serious thissituation was. An untreated hypo would have resulted in my daughter quicklybecoming unconscious, fitting, and finally brain damage and death. I wouldhave hoped that the teacher could have directed another student to fetchdiabetic supplies from one of the school diabetic stores (I believe there is onevery close to the pit). We can only be very grateful that my daughter retainedenough sense to direct a second friend to the PE office, and that she waswilling to help. As you will know from my daughter’s diabetes notes, low bloodsugar causes the brain to malfunction, leading to confusion and memory loss.This means that my daughter cannot always remember how to treat herselfwhen she is hypo. She should never be left alone when hypo and an adultshould always check that she has actually taken her hypo treatment.I would like to know that all my daughter’s teachers are aware that she isdiabetic (Mrs XXXX is my daughter’s class drama teacher, as well as takingthe drama club) and that they know what to do if a diabetic student says theyare hypo. I would also like to see the other students made aware of how to finddiabetic supplies if they are asked for them. I look forward to hearing fromyou.Enc. My daughter’s diabetes informationCc school nursePSThe school has now apologised and has expressed regret and has taken stepsto make sure that this type of incident is less likely to happen again.♦After weeks of saying that they would be happy to check mychild’s blood glucose they suddenly decided that they would notcheck him at all. Due to “health and safety reasons” This was twodays before the end of the summer term before Oliver was due to start inSeptember. There was no way that we could send him to this school and in ouropinion he would not have been safe.42