Reading this story brought me back almost 5 years ago when our youngest daughter was diagnosed at 4 years old.  The blood test and being rushed to the emergency room to spend the next 4 days learning everything there was to know about type 1 diabetes.  I'm sure we can all relate in some way to the following sibling story submitted by the Kei family:

 

 

 

My eldest child, age 6, was rushed into hospital last summer in a serious state of diabetic ketoacidosis. I had been worried that she might be diabetic, had taken her to the doctor the day before and then for blood tests that morning, but we were too late to prevent DKA. She spent 5 days in hospital, then came home to spend the rest of her sunmmer holidays learning about diabetes, finger pricks, insulin injections, hypos, hypers and so on. She dealt with it very well, and we are all incredibly proud of her. Just last week, 7 months after my daughter's diagnosis, our son (who has just turned 5) was also diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. We had spotted the symptoms and caught it early, so that after one night in hospital for observation, he was home with his insulin and finger-pricking kit. He knew what to do, because he has watched his big sister for the past 7 months, and he has adapted well and already insists on doing his own insulin injections. Thankfully they both go to a school where the teachers are wonderful, and very supportive to all of us. I'm also very lucky that my children were already the best of friends, and this has brought them even closer. They do their finger-pricks together, always comparing their blood sugar numbers and giggling if they are the same. They watch out for each other at school and at home, and remind me or their teacher if they know it is snack time. It's not always easy, and I will always be watching our tiny daughter for signs of diabetes, but my kids are amazingly strong and I know they will always support each other.