Emily and I are taking on JDRF's New Year 2020 Make A Splash challenge, swimming 21 miles in 12 weeks to raise vital funds to support medical research.

(Emily) I was diagnosed on the 15th January 2019. 2 weeks after my 14th birthday. The night before I was at a friends birthday party, knowing I had a doctors appointment the morning after. My mum had caught on to the symptoms. I was drinking glass after glass of water, getting up multiple times in the night for the loo, and I was eating massive amounts of food when I was feeling odd. I was so lucky. I know now what could have happened and how different things could have gone, and I’m forever grateful for my mums knowledge on diabetes (being diabetic herself)

I got Type 1 due to a virus I had over the Christmas break. At that time, we had no idea about anything. I stopped eating chocolate as a challenge to my self for 7 months prior to Christmas. On the 1st of December I started eating it again. Obviously, I missed eating it so I ate quite a bit. It’s only since I’ve been diagnosed that’s I’ve noticed in pictures how skinny I looked. I had lost a stone without noticing.

I didn’t tell my friends about my doctors appointment, because I truly believed I didn’t have diabetes. I remember walking in confident and out in pieces. Me and my mum sat in the car and cried. It was one of the worst memories I’ve ever had. Then we drove home, packed a bag, and went to hospital and we had to stay there for 4 nights.

I never cried in front of the nurses, I tried my best to stay as positive as possible. When they’d leave I’d be bawling with my mum. It was horrible.

I knew how lucky I was. I wasn’t ill, and it wasn’t fatal. I was in an extremely rare position which I was so grateful to be in.

I wish diabetes had more awareness that it does. I do get stupid questions and see silly things people have put on the internet with no knowledge on the illness at all, but I think people do need to be educated on the condition. It can save lives if used properly.