SELINSGROVE – November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and a 7th grader from Selinsgrove is hoping support groups will soon be available for those with Type 1 Diabetes.
Emma Barlett of Selinsgrove found out she had Type 1 Diabetes when she was four, “Now I have a little bit more responsibility than most kids do. I have to carry my meter and I have to worry about not losing it, making sure that it is all charged and that I have all the supplies I need wherever I go, and making sure that my blood sugar isn’t going to go high or isn’t going to go low.”
Emma is constantly checking her blood sugar, “I have a continuous glucose monitor, so it monitors my blood sugar all day for me. I still have to check pretty frequently. On an average day I would say like ten [times], but on a high day it would probably be like 20 [times].”
And she talks about what happens if her blood sugar isn’t the right level, “Well if I’m high, I can give myself insulin and if I’m low I can give myself carbs. If it’s too high, I could have to go to the hospital, which thankfully, that has never happened. If it’s too low, I could pass out, but that has never happened either. I have to carry a Glucagon and most of my friends know how to use it. If I pass out, then they take that and they stick it into me like a regular needle.”
Emma said she is different than other kids in school, “Some kids think it’s not fair that I get to have my phone with me and that I get to retake tests, and some kids think that I get special treatment. I mean, the teachers have to watch over me, but it’s not like I’m getting special treatment.”
And if kids say it’s not fair that she get’s special treatment, Emma said, “I feel really bad that I have to say this but it’s the truth. It’s not fair that I have to deal with diabetes on a regular basis. That’s pretty much what I tell them.”
Emma explained, “I play field hockey and I run cross country and it’s really stressful because I have to worry about my blood sugar on top of my school work and sports and it’s sometimes really hard to manage. Sometimes when kids would say things like that to me, it makes me even more upset.”
Emma is hopeful that the more people learn about Diabetes, the more people will want to contribute to the cause. Money for research is needed to improve technology, so area organizations such as Setebaid Services hold local summer camps, “Setebaid is kind of like a headquarters. They are in charge of camps and they are located in Winfield. They are always looking for volunteers to help them. The money that they get at the camp helps go to fundraising and then the fundraising money goes to them trying to help make a better pump. That way, you wouldn’t have to worry about pricking your fingers to check your blood sugar.”
Emma is also hopeful for local support groups for those with Type 1 Diabetes. She is working with students at Susquehanna University and Sete baid, “There are a lot of people that I know that struggle with it. I’ve had it for a long time now, but there are people that are adults and still struggle with it. They have nobody with them that will help them understand. I honestly know how that feels because I don’t have anybody my age or who has had it as long as me to talk to, who knows about it as much as I do. I would like somebody to talk.”
You can learn more about Sete Baid and their services at www.setebaidservices.org. You can also visit Emma’s awareness website at www.emmasfight.webs.com. (Ali Stevens)
