
23 Oct Through the Eyes of a Type 1 Grandparent
Our lives are marked by days we will remember forever. Like the day we get married, or the day(s) our children are born. But then there are days you never expect will happen, but are now remembered for how quickly life changed. The day when my two granddaughters were diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, I will forever remember. Lyla was six years old, and four months later her five -year old sister Julia was diagnosed. The strength of my daughter and son-in-law, and the bravery of these two precious little girls will live on in my heart always.
It has been three years since their diagnosis and what a journey it has been. The saying “it takes a village to raise a child” is so true. The support they have received from family and friends has been phenomenal. Besides my love for them, as their grandmother, my being a Registered Nurse has enabled me to participate more closely in their T1D journey. Lyla and Julia’s “support village” includes DYS (Diabetes Youth Services). The past three summers the girls have attended DYS Little Shots summer camp, where I am able to work as a camp nurse alongside the girls. DYS also provides T1D training for school systems in Ohio and Michigan and I am proud to be one of their RN Educators.


These days I continue to marvel at the strength of Lyla who is now nine and Julia who is eight. They wear their CGM’s (continuous glucose monitors) and insulin pumps on their little bodies without complaint, carry around their purses with required electronic devices, count carbs every time they eat, and manage insulin doses with precision that would boggle most adults. I love them with all my heart and without a doubt they will forever be Type 1 Diabetes warriors.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.