A 19 Day Journey Of Self Discovery And Personal Growth, Covering A Distance Of About 200km In The Drakensberg

Shaianne, together with a group of girls from her high school, covered this distance by hiking, cycling, horseback riding and paddling. This story captured our attention and we interviewed Shaianne and her family, soon after this life-changing experience.

“This is an amazing learning opportunity for the girls, because they get to learn more about themselves and their team members. Its one of the biggest challenges that they face in high school...but also one of the most rewarding experiences.” - Mom Charmaine 

Shaianne’s journey is truly inspirational and proofs that people with Type 1 Diabetes can do anything they set they mind on! 

Q.Thank you for making time to talk to us! When was Shaianne  diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes?

A. She was 8 years old.  This was 7 years ago.

Q. How did you respond when you heard she was going on a field trip for 19 days? 

A. It was mixed feelings, we were excited for her and nervous as this would be the first time that she will be away for that long without us close by to monitor her blood sugars. But she was determined to go...and not allow her diabetes to control her. We supported her and so did the school.

Q.What were your major concerns/challenges about the trip?

A. Our biggest concern was her managing and controlling her blood sugars and dealing with highs and lows due to the intense daily activities and change in diet and altitude. 

Q.What concerns did Shaianne have before the trip? 

A. Shaianne was too excited about going...her only concern was managing night time lows if they had to occur. 

Q.There must have been a lot of planning to ensure that she would be safe? Can you share some of your planning with us? 

A. This involved many meetings with the school team such as the teachers and school nurse.  We had to meet with the teachers who arranged the meals,  to ensure that the food was suitable and if not changes were made. We had to also find a nurse that could accompany her on the trip and had some knowledge of Type 1 diabetes.  She then had to be trained on the CGM as well as Shaiannes routine and specific needs. The nurse would be responsible for monitoring her blood sugars during the day and doing night time checks. We also approached Medtronic for a loan of a CGM so that Shaianne could monitor her sugars with ease. The CGM would also prevent her from having to test frequently. Shaianne was also asked to speak to her  journey group about Type 1 Diabetes and how she copes daily.  

Q. What was your experience with Guardian Connect? 

A. We found it very convenient for her trip as she was able to continually monitor her blood sugars and see how the activities of each day and her meals she ate affected her blood sugar readings. However the alerts for the highs and lows were very soft even if the phone is on loud. So she needed to always have the phone close to her at night to hear the beep.  Also the distance of 6m was limiting for her. She needed to always make sure that her phone was close by to pick up the readings. Even with these challenges the CGM proved to be a valuable asset. Shaianne was able to enjoy her experience with her  friends and not have to worry all the time about  checking her sugar levels with her tester. 

Q.If you have to do it all over again, what would you do different?  

A. Maybe look at a pump for her as this would help manage her levels better. And start her on the CGM earlier than we did.

Q.What advice would you give other parents? 

A. Never be afraid to allow your children opportunities like this...even with Type 1 Diabetes they can do anything. It's tough to let go and allow them to grow and be away from you...if we equip them with everything they need to go on school trips like this and if you have the love and  support of the school team like we did...it makes all the difference.