Awareness goes on parade

Twelve-year-olds Maggie Bridgford and Blake Aldridge both have type one diabetes.

AT 12 years old Stanwell Park's Blake Aldridge and Maggie Bridgford have already had more injections and blood tests than most people would have in their entire life.

Blake and Maggie already shared the same hometown and went to primary school together, but diabetes is probably something they would rather not have in common.

Both Blake and Maggie, now in their first year of high school, have type one diabetes, a condition which occurs when the pancreas ceases to create a hormone called insulin.

Insulin is needed to let glucose enter blood cells and give the body energy.

If a type one diabetic does not have insulin they can become very sick and even fall into a coma or die.

For Blake and Maggie what this means is a lifetime of carefully monitoring what they eat and pricking their finger several times a day to check blood sugar levels.

Blake, who was diagnosed when he was eight, uses a tiny machine called a 'pump' to get his insulin, which eliminates the need to inject insulin into his body with a needle several times a day.

“With the pump I'm just like any other kid now (except) I have an $8000 machine attached to my body and have to watch out for it,” he said.

“Other than that I can skate, surf, do anything.”

Maggie was only diagnosed with type one diabetes earlier this year, but has adjusted well.

Unlike Blake, Maggie injects her insulin, and said the worst thing about her condition was going to the movies with her friends and not being able to eat what they eat.

To help young people with diabetes the Type One Diabetes Support Group for Illawarra and the South Coast has organised a fundraising disco for children with diabetes and their friends later this month, as well as a fashion parade and gourmet dinner in November.

All of the money raised will go towards camps for local diabetic children.

Blake and other young people with type one diabetes will be modelling at the parade alongside professional models. For tickets or information call 0412 001 424.