HETTY & WILLIAM'S TRIATHLON CHALLENGE

They are both utterly bonkers & have decided to do the Hever Triathlon on 23rd September.

Hetty was diagnosed this year with Type 1 Diabetes which she developed after catching a virus. She ended up very unwell in hospital in Diabetic DKA. Even whilst in the High Dependency Unit, on 2 drips and painfully thin she told me she was still doing the triathlon. Her whole life has been turned upside since then and she has had to learn (very quickly) to manage the condition. Hetty cannot eat without injecting herself with insulin. She injects at least 4 times a day, finger pricks to check blood glucose levels multiple times a day and wears a sensor that sits under her skin which monitors her BG levels every 5 minutes. Life very much revolves around her blood glucose levels and it is quite simply, a condition that you can never forget you have. It requires constant monitoring and awareness of everything that could affect your levels. Happiness, sadness, excitement, stress, exercise, the weather and especially, feeling unwell can make her blood glucose levels swing wildly. Doing the triathlon will be a trial regardless of the physical aspect as the biggest challenge will be to keep her blood glucose levels in a healthy range - during a swim (when her sensor will not work), a cycle and then a run. Too low and she will go hypoglycemic, too high and she will be hyperglycemic. Either are potentially dangerous. Exercise also affects BG levels for the next 36 hours+. So, long after everyone has gone home and is having a well earned rest, Hetty will be battling her blood glucose levels for the the next day or 2 as her body recovers from the exertion.

William is Autistic and has very high anxiety. He is also very shy and doesn't like being the centre of attention. William REALLY struggles with crowds and people being too close to him. It makes him very cross and anxious and is something he usually spends most of his time avoiding at all costs. After watching last years triathlon, William decided that a swim in a crowded lake is not for him. But he did think that doing the cycle and run part of the triathlon would be a fabulous idea! If anyone knows William, they will know he can't be dissuaded from something once his mind is made up. Jon will be shadowing William during it all to help him if he becomes anxious. However, if he manages to do it, it will be a huge achievement for him and he will be very proud of himself.

The children have decided to raise money for Hetty's local Diabetes team at Maidstone Hospital (MAPS) as they work hard to look after the children and organise days for the children to meet each other - which is vitally important or Diabetes can feel very isolating. Being the only one who can't eat sweets or have an ice-cream at the beach whenever you feel like it, or the only one injecting in public can feel quite lonely.

They also want to raise money for Many Tears Animal Rescue, who we foster dogs for. This is very close to both their hearts as both love animals and want to work with them when older. Hetty in particular has been instrumental in helping our foster dogs adapt to being pets and to moving on to their new homes. She has a way with even the most scared dogs that is rather special.

They have decided to split any money raised 50/50.

H