When Sarah Henderson spotted her daughter Hollie was drinking an unusual amount of water, she noted it to be “strange”.
The 11-year-old spent weeks consuming a huge amount of liquids and wanted a drink at all times of the day. But alarm bells really started to ring when the youngster, from Oldham, began to rapidly lose weight – prompting Sarah to take her straight to a doctor.
“The doctor immediately noticed the symptoms and sent us to hospital,” the 47-year-old added. “If we had waited another week, she would have been seriously ill, which is of course a frightening thought for any parents.”
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Following several tests, Hollie’s family, from Shaw, were told the reason behind her bizarre symptoms. Hollie had type 1 diabetes, altering her life forever.
Type 1 diabetes causes the level of glucose, or sugar, in the blood to become too high. It happens when the body cannot produce enough of a hormone called insulin, which controls blood glucose. Those with the condition need to take insulin every day to keep blood glucose levels under control.
Type 1 diabetes currently has no known cause or cure. However Hollie, who was diagnosed in 2021, has grown used to the challenges it brings – from the dangers of hypos, when her blood glucose level falls too low, to stress-inducing daily injections.
Since being diagnosed, she has built up a following and community on Instagram, where she connects with other young people living with diabetes from around the world.
But mum Sarah says due to a lack of understanding around the condition, Hollie, now 12, has suffered bullying at school. “People aren’t always kind to her at school,” she added. “They don’t really understand diabetes, which is why Hollie is so keen to raise awareness around its stigmas.
“But she gets lots of comfort from Instagram , where she has connected with kids up and down the UK, and around the world, in the same position as her, who understand and help make life a little bit easier.
"It was a big shock to the system when Hollie was diagnosed last year, but we are so grateful to the NHS and to the incredible technology that has helped her navigate her diabetes.
“Her diagnosis completely changed everything. She went from a happy, care-free child to someone with the responsibility of being completely 'on' all the time, monitoring her insulin to self-administered injections. Luckily now, she's on a pump so that has stopped the injections, which is amazing, but it still requires constant management."
Hollie added: “Living with type 1 diabetes is a constant balancing act. It’s like doing everything in your daily life while keeping a balloon in the air.”
Diabetes sufferers from across the UK, including Hollie, have joined forces to help raise awareness around the challenges of living with Type 1 Diabetes by taking part in the #BlueBalloonChallenge, a social media charity initiative.
The #BlueBalloonChallenge kicked off last month and will continue to run up until World Diabetes Day on November 14. Organised by Medtronic, the global leader in medical technology, the challenge invites members of the public to film themselves as they keep a balloon in the air, and for every post Medtronic will donate €5 to Life for a Child.
Holly added: “The #BlueBalloonChallenge allows other people to experience my every day and better understand Type 1 Diabetes, while also helping raise funds for children who don’t have access to the care - and insulin - that I do.”
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