We are 'TEAM TOUGH COOKIE' - A name chosen by the young lady who has inspired us all in this shared goal. Evie 'Tough Cookie' Gallimore - Aged 10yrs, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes as a tiny tot. Since that time she has solidered on through everything Diabetes; and all thats associated with it. She is a real 'trooper' and we are in awe of her great strength.
"One Tough Cookie"
Evie Erin Rio Gallimore is the youngest member of the Gallimore family. We are Dad; Noel, Mum; Sharyn, Big Brother; Shane, Big Brother; Bryn, Big Sister; Georgia and Our Dog; Blubelle.
Evie is a full on tigger, bouncing, crazy ray of sunshine :D She sees the world from a different angle ……… like RIGHT outta the box. She has such optimism and a lemon zest for every single day of life. She is a tornado of creativity and can literally make anything out of nothing. We call her ‘The Recycle Queen’ lol. She enjoys art, reading, singing, dancing and playing football …. A real all – rounder! She is a very determined little character and is always prepared to face any challenge head on; no matter how scared she gets.
Our lives were changed forever when Evie developed Type 1 Diabetes just prior to her 2nd birthday. We were immediately thrown into a new world that involved us injecting her several times daily and testing her bloods around the clock in order to keep her alive …. ‘A FACT - most people fail to absorb.’ Every single day is a constant balancing act, having to check, check and double check again. Blood Glucose levels need to remain within a specific range of 4 – 7mmol and everything she does affects this, from eating foods, to the common cold, to sitting in the sunshine. Type 1 Diabetes, feels very much like having to carry around an extra body. Everything you do in life; Diabetes 'has' to be considered …. From school, parties, playing, bathing, holidays, sleep overs, exercise …… the list never ends! Type 1 Diabetes is the last thing we think about before dropping off to sleep and the first thing we think of, upon waking …. It is never far from our thoughts!
The Daily Diabetic Challenge: To avoid High’s & Low’s and keep diabetic ketoacidosis at bay! DKA is a genuinely serious medical emergency. Without urgent treatment, this diabetes complication can lead to death.
Evie has been in DKA twice so far which have led to her being in intensive care. We have had 3 incidents of 'close calls' which have led to hospitalisation. Mild Hypo's are fairly common place for us and quick treatment has us helped avoid emergency help so far. On average, Evie has her fingers pricked for blood … 7 times per day, 50 times per week, 2600 times per year. She is injected on average, 5 times a day, 35 times per week and 1820 times a year.
* Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, life-threatening condition which has a lifelong impact on those diagnosed & their families.
* Unlike type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes is not linked to being overweight, lack of exercise or other lifestyle factors.
* Type 1 diabetes affects 400,000 people in the UK, enough to fill Wembley Stadium more than 4 times over.
* Type 1 diabetes often strikes in childhood. It stays with people for the rest of their lives.
* Type 1 diabetes happens because the body’s own immune system attacks cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.
* Type 1 diabetes is no-one's fault. It can happen to anyone and is not caused by anything they or their parents did or didn't do.
* Over 29,000 children in the UK have type 1 diabetes – you would need 70 jumbo jets to take them all on holiday.
* People with type 1 diabetes rely on insulin injections/infusions and up to 10-12 finger prick tests every day just to stay alive.
****************An hour of research into type 1 diabetes costs around £60. Every bit of research brings us a step closer to finding the cure ***************
JDRF is the only charitable organisation in the world with the primary aim of finding the cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications. JDRF raises money to drive world-class research, no matter where it is taking place across the globe. Over the last 30 years they have funded more than £600 million of research and have been fundamentally involved in the delivery of advances in this field. They seek out, assess and monitor the best science to drive the breakthroughs that improve management of type 1 diabetes and will ultimately cure the condition.
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