Isle Of Wight Mum Calls For More Support And Awareness Ahead Of World Diabetes Day

An Isle of Wight mother has spoken about the daily challenges her daughter faces living with Type One Diabetes, describing how the condition “controls her whole life.”

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service ahead of World Diabetes Day (November 14), Lauren Gallop — a parent representative for the Paediatric Diabetes Team at St Mary’s Hospital — said she wants to raise awareness about a condition she believes is becoming “drastically more prevalent.”

The call comes as the Isle of Wight Diabetes Group reports more than 10,500 people on the Island have been diagnosed with some form of diabetes. Recent research from Diabetes UK also found nearly nine in ten people with Type One Diabetes experience blame or judgement because of their condition.

According to the NHS, Type One Diabetes occurs when the body cannot produce insulin — a hormone that helps convert sugar into energy.

It is often diagnosed in childhood or early adulthood, but can develop at any age.

Lauren said her daughter was diagnosed at the age of nine, during the Covid pandemic.

“She’s found it really hard,” Lauren explained.

“She’s got two siblings at home and they can obviously eat and do what they want, whereas she has to account for everything she’s eating.

"It's been a massive change for her — it controls her whole life.

"She has to think about everything she’s doing constantly, plan ahead, and count carbohydrates before she eats so her pump can control her blood sugars.”

Two close friends — Kayleigh Williams and Beth Trueman, who have supported the family since the diagnosis — said they’ve seen how difficult it can be for children managing the condition.

“It’s a pain… as a child you don’t want to have to do that every time you want a snack,” said Kayleigh.

“And it makes you feel ill all the time – you’re thirsty all the time, you get headaches all the time, you need to wee all the time,” added Beth.

The trio also highlighted the stigma and misconceptions surrounding Type One Diabetes, with many wrongly assuming it’s linked to diet or lifestyle.

Lauren said there is currently “not a lot” of local support for families affected by the condition, but parent representatives at St Mary’s have suggested launching a new ‘buddy system’ — pairing newly diagnosed families with others who have experience of managing the condition.

“Awareness is so important,” she said. “The earlier diabetes is diagnosed, the less damage is done and the quicker people can get treatment.”

Lauren is now continuing her fundraising efforts to host more parent-led meetups and to help create “a community on the Island that comes together and supports each other.”

“Unless you know about diabetes, when you’re thrown into that situation it’s really lonely and rubbish,” she added.