Hope for better awareness of diabetes

Awareness is a bit issues because many people don't even realise that children suffer from diabetes too. Many today think it is just a sickness for overweight people - well we know that isn't true, so good on Diabetes Week New Zealand for its efforts.

Article Source: http://nz.news.yahoo.com/071118/2/2gqt.html

Diabetes sufferers want people to understand there is no holiday from their illness. The focus of this year's Diabetes Awareness Week is the 3,500 children and young people affected by Type 1 diabetes in this country.

Diabetes New Zealand president Mike Smith says children with Type 1 do have some special needs. He says they do not need to be pampered, but people must understand they have a condition which needs to be managed 24 hours a day. He says the number of children diagnosed with diabetes each year is growing by about 10 percent.

Mike Smith says it is difficult for a child to get used to having the disease. He says it is scary for both children and their parents, as the young patients can often become hypoglycaemic in the night and need help.