Monday, November 14, 2005

Bittersweet fellowship

I got a sad email from one of the Walk committee members Friday (Nov 11). Her sister just returned from an area children's hospital where her three year old son was diagnosed with type I diabetes. Even though she was diagnosed at age ten, she doesn't have the insight of being diabetic at age three, nor the insight of a parent of a three year old.

I told her we would be more than happy to talk with her sister, having
already been in their shoes, and wishing we'd had someone to talk with when we were at that stage.

One of the biggest issues we've had to face was lack of support in our area. I've heard of a support group or two, but they're all for adults from what I've seen. Unfortunately, since children as young as these two (mine and the sister's) are in the minority numberwise, we don't seem to run across many other parents of diabetic children. Believe me when I tell you that we need others to talk with, and compare notes, and stories, and tips. It would even be nice now and again to be able to find out about diabetic-friendly babysitters that other parents have discovered.

Maybe this will be he start of something in our area, time will tell...

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