Lilly’s journey towards hope with type 1 diabetes
Lilly is an adorable 5-year-old little girl. In April 2018 her parents, Craig and Collette took her to the doctor.
She presented with increased thirst, frequent urination, unintended weight loss, fatigue and weakness. Their doctor immediately recognised the symptoms of type 1 diabetes and referred them to the Little Company of Mary Hospital. Just like most parents of type 1 children, Craig and Collette did not know the symptoms of diabetes and were grateful that their doctor did. They are now passionate about creating more awareness of diabetes and the symptoms.
While Lilly was in the hospital, her sister, Chloe and her parents had to learn how to inject her. From the start, Lilly needed an average of about 4 to 5 injections. Her biggest challenge was her needle phobia and it took a lot of persuasions for her to allow them to inject them. To add to that, Lilly had numerous bruises on her legs of all the shots. Her fear of injections had an impact on the whole family and they were overwhelmed the emotional impact diabetes was having on Lilly. Her fear of injections made it impossible to correct a high glucose level during the night.
Collette received a call from a type 1 mom, Michelle. Michelle’s support was invaluable, and it felt as if they finally had someone who understood their daily struggles. She told them about the i-Port Advance™ injection port. They immediately contacted their pharmacist and ordered it. They started looking at YouTube videos to see exactly how to insert the device and showed the videos to Lilly. Inserting the i-Port AdvanceTM injection port was virtually pain-free and they now only have to change the set and sight every three days. i-Port AdvanceTM had an immediate impact not only on Lilly and her parents but also on teachers at school who helped to administer her insulin shots.
Managing type 1 diabetes has become part of their lives. Craig and Collette believe that their constant search for knowledge empowered them to feel more in control. Lilly has always been a bold little warrior and her diagnosis will never stop her from reaching her dreams.