Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. For reasons we don’t yet fully understand, your immune system, which is meant to protect you from foreign bodies, such as viruses and bacteria, mistakenly attacks and destroys the beta cells in your pancreas that produce insulin.

You cannot prevent it by adopting a healthy diet, exercising regularly, or living a healthy lifestyle. There is currently no known cure. But JDRF is committed to funding research that will find the cure.

My son was diagnosed with this condition in February 2014, at the time I really didn't realise how hard the journey would be for both him and the rest of his family to try to sustain a 'normal' life for him. After all our family is not without knowledge of this condition.

I was totally unaware of the ignorance towards type 1 diabetes amongst other adults and comments like,' will he grow out of it or 'Oh he will get better soon' which were well meaning to be honest, however, really annoyed me to begin with but now I try to educate people about the condition.

Diabetes is a complex but not unmanageable condition, children with type 1 diabetes need more care as their lifestyle changes on a daily basis. The thing that my son has found so hard is the fact he has to think about everything before he does it, for example - what days are PE at school as he has to have extra carbs and/or less insulin, is it exam week as stress affects blood sugar levels, is the weather really hot as again it affects his blood sugar. Is he slightly under the weather because this will also have an effect on him. Even when he plays for his football team we have to try to guess how long he will be playing for and how many carbohydrates he might need.

He is coping really well but the impulsive, care free young lad he used to be has been replaced by a more sensible, measured lad that always has to think about the consequences before his actions. Although this is a good thing really; which mom doesn't want their nine year old to be impulsive and care free?

There are lots of ladies doing the tough mudder and between us we have lots of Charities that are close to our hearts so I'd like to say a personal think you to all the ladies who have agreed to raise money for the JDRF - thank you x

for more information about the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) click here

http://www.jdrf.org.uk/life-with-type-1-diabetes/what-is-type-1-diabetes

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