Every Child Matters - Children with Diabetes

♦An example of good practice, written by Ben with help frommum.My Name Is Ben and I am 7 years old. In September 2005 I was taken intohospital and diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.Before I returned to school my mum and dad went into school to talk to myteachers about the condition and what they could do to help me. Both myteacher and teaching assistant were very helpful and wanted to do as much asthey could to ensure that my school life wasn’t affected.They help me to do a blood test when I need to as I don’t always remember towash my hands and sometimes I’m in a rush and don’t think to do everythingthat I am supposed to. When I started to have a problem with my bloodsugars my teacher agreed to help me test every lunchtime, as there were timeswhen I was going low when coming out of school.Sometimes I recognise my own hypo symptoms like having a headache orstomach ache but I don’t always relate it to having a hypo. My teacher picksup on my behaviour in the class and helps me to test if she thinks she needs to.My teacher has tested me herself when I was so low that I felt very weak.Luckily my mum helps out at my school and on the days she isthere the teacher always fetches mum to help me.I always take part in PE lessons at school and do after school football. Mymum puts an extra snack in my lunchbox for these activities. On special dayslike Sports Day, I have extra snacks so that I can run my fastest, this year Icame first in 3 of the races which made me feel very happy.For lunch my mum sends me with sandwiches. My dinner lady and myteacher always make sure that I have eaten everything that is in my lunch box.Sometimes I have dropped a sandwich on the floor so they have given me abiscuit out of my special box. Mum thinks I do this on purpose sometimesjust to get a biscuit but I don’t honest!!My diabetes does not stop me from going on school trips, mum just puts extrasnacks in because of all the walking and sometimes mum has come with us onthe trips. My teacher always carries my special box which contains hypotreatments and snacks. In October 2008 there is a 3 day trip to London whichI want to go on. My mum approached the teacher organising it and he saidnot to worry and that it’s up to school to make sure that I have the samechance as every other child in the school. They asked my mum if she wouldlike to go or whether she would like to train a member of staff to be with me.My mum jumped at the chance of going!My DSN went into school at the end of last term to talk to my new teachers.Mum says they were both very interested and told her not to worry and thatthey would look after me.My life at school is OK since having Diabetes my friends think it’s cool when Ihave to have a drink of coke and extra snack. My school has been fantasticand has done everything my mum and dad has asked them to. Ben Aged 752