Shirley-Anne Cheyne

Why we want to raise money for JDRF?

On Tuesday 10th May 2016, our 4 year old daughter Alexa was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. 

In the week running up to being  diagnosed, Alexa started wetting the bed, which she had never done before and was thirsty all the time. I booked an appointment at the doctor's thinking she had a urine infection. Unfortunately though this was not the case and after a quick test by the nurse practitioner, a doctor came in and revealed that Alexa had type 1 diabetes and needed to be admitted to RACH right away. Alexa was blue lighted through to Aberdeen and the next few days were quite a blur. We had to stay in hospital for 4 days, the first being by far the worst as Alexa was wondering what was going on all of a sudden and had to get pinned down by 6 adults to get something put in her arm and then pinned down again to get her first insulin injection. I can't imagine what was going through her head. We learnt in hospital about checking her bloods, giving insulin, carb counting for everything she eats, hypos (low blood sugars), hypers (high blood sugars), I thought I would never get it right, but you just need to when it's your child's life in your hands.

Alexa is very brave and up until the 12th of March this year had to have a minimum of 5 insulin injections everyday and she had her finger pricked many times per day. On the 12th of March 2024, Alexa went live with an insulin pump, this has changed our lives so much.  She still needs to get her sensor changed every 7 days and her cannula changed every 3 days, but what a difference overall. Alexa will still tell us occassionally that she doesn't want to be diabetic anymore and has previously asked when it will go away, which was heartbreaking. 

Just about everything affects Alexas blood sugar levels, excitement, stress, illness, growth, hormones, exercise, the weather. The symptoms can make her shaky, drowsy, hungry, pale, dizzy, confused and upset with low blood sugar, to thirsty, nauseous, tired, dizzy, tummy pain, angry, agitated and unable to concentrate with high blood sugar. This makes diabetes difficult to manage and Alexa's educational years and concentrating in school extremely tricky. Bedtime is also a worry as she can go into a diabetic coma while she sleeps.

Type 1 Diabetes is an auto immune condition and despite misconceptions, is not caused by diet or lifestyle choices. It is no-ones fault and nothing can be done to prevent it. Alarmingly cases of Type 1 Diabetes in children are on the increase, currently with no known cause or cure. JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) are working hard to change this by using donations to fund research into new ways to try to treat, prevent and possibly even cure this life threatening life long chronic health condition. 

Alexa - "I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I'm meant to be, This Is Me"

We would love more than anything to find a cure.

If you would like to donate we would be so grateful. 

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