San Antonio – – Like any typical 8-year-old, Sophia Roussel loves gymnastics, soccer and swimming.
But Sophia is doing all this while living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), an autoimmune disease that is entirely different from Type 2 Diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is commonly diagnosed in children, but once a child receives that diagnosis, there are many new technological options available.
Sophia has an insulin pump attached to her leg, and a device called a Dexcom attached to her arm constantly monitors her blood sugar levels and sounds an alert if there are any abnormalities.
“Basically, it’s what keeps me alive,” Sophia says.
Sophia was diagnosed two years ago and even though she was only in kindergarten at the time, she remembers the symptoms.
“I was super thirsty, irritable and really shaking,” she said.
“She kept saying, ‘Mommy, I’m thirsty,’ and I said, ‘Well, where’s the water?’ And she said, ‘Yeah, I’m done,'” Sophia’s mother, Conne Anne Roussel, said.
Connie Anne has two family members with type 1 diabetes, so the disease was caught early and Sophia didn’t stay in the hospital for long.
“We were all like, ‘How did we not notice?’ But there are so many ways to think of this as just a normal thing that’s happening,” Connie Ahn said.
It’s normal for kids to drink plenty of fluids, especially since it’s so hot outside right now.
That’s why it’s important to be aware of other symptoms.
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Extreme thirst
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Frequent urination
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Apathy
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Extreme hunger
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Lose weight
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Blurred vision
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Fruity breath
Young children can be hard to understand because they don’t communicate well, but the signs are there.
“If you have a child who’s not yet potty trained, you may have to change their diapers more frequently than usual, especially at night,” says Machelle Day, executive director of the advocacy group Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF).
Day said children who are potty trained often start wetting the bed.
Recognizing all these signs can save your child’s life.
“Many children develop a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis before they even know they have it. Diabetic ketoacidosis can cause coma, seizures, high or low blood sugar. If high blood sugar persists for a long period of time, it can cause nerve damage, heart problems and other problems,” Day said.
Day’s daughter, Addison, was diagnosed five years ago, so they know the diagnosis can be confusing.
“Parents are sometimes told it may just be a growing phase. Sometimes it is just a growing phase, but it’s still worth getting tested,” Day said.
Now, several years after their diagnosis, Addison and Sophia have their diabetes under control and are living active lives.
“It’s hard at times, but I feel the same way as everyone else,” Sophia said.
She wants other kids to pay attention to what’s going on with their bodies and tell their parents what they’re feeling.
Connie Anne had a message for parents: “Trust your instincts as a parent that something is not right. Go to the hospital and get checked out.”
They joined the Breakthrough T1D community, which provided them with a strong support system and direct connections to new technologies and treatments.
The Breakthrough T1D website is available to anyone who wants to learn more about T1D or donate to fund research.
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