Waking up to the Dangers of Diabetes

Waking up to the Dangers of Diabetes

The 31-year old, Upper Beaconsfield resident Rebecca O'Brien, has been helping Diabetes Australia launch its new program to raise awareness of the importance of diabetes management among young people.
'A lot of young people with type 1 diabetes are dropping out of specialist care when they move from the paediatric to adult healthcare systems," Rebecca said, 'This puts them at greater risk of developing health problems as adults."

Rebecca knows what she's talking about. As a teenager she paid little attention to her own diabetic condition – which developed age seven – and didn't see herself as being at risk. It was only in her early 20s when she went to an optometrist to have some contact lenses fitted that the consequences of neglecting her condition became clear to her.
'I was diagnosed with the diabetes-related eye disease retinopathy and told that I was weeks away from going blind," Rebecca recalls.

Prompt laser treatment helped Rebecca to keep her sight, but to this day her vision is not all it should be. She also suffered significant kidney damage. The incident inspired her to not only take responsibility for her own condition but also spread the word to other young people with diabetes about the importance of looking after their health.

'Most teenagers think they're invincible – that's a normal part of being a teenager," said Rebecca, 'But when you have diabetes, those normal risk-taking behaviours can have even more serious consequences."

The new strategy from Diabetes Australia aims to engage children with type 1 diabetes and their parents so they can be better informed and connected to health services. Birthday cards will be sent to all young people with diabetes starting at their 12th birthday through to their 20th birthday. Parents will receive age appropriate transition information to assist with the move from children's healthcare to adult care.

Diabetes Australia Acting CEO Professor Greg Johnson says: 'It is important to develop innovative and appropriate ways to engage young people and for them to realise why remaining in the healthcare system and diabetes care is essential for their good health."

The initiative gets enthusiastic support from Rebecca. She continues to be involved with diabetes groups in a voluntary capacity, including leading and organising children's and family camps. Now studying a Diploma of Community Services at Chisholm Frankston, she wants to work in the welfare sector with young people and believes firmly that communication and education are the best ways to ensure that tomorrow's teenagers don't suffer the same experiences as her.

'It's important for children with diabetes to have role models and see older people with diabetes who are coping with the condition," she says, 'Health professionals and parents can warn them all day but I hope by putting my hand up and saying -Yes, it did happen to me,' that it might get their attention a bit more."