The incredible strength, resilience, and love of mothers raising children with Type 1 diabetes
Mother’s Day is a time to acknowledge and thank all the moms raising kids, have raised kids, and continue to show the world what it means to love and care for those around you.
While every mom deserves kudos, we’re doing this post to thank those moms in the diabetes community. The incredible “D1 Moms” who wake up every morning with a whole lot of added responsibilities on their plate caring for a child with Type 1 diabetes.
The Heroes! Moms of Kids With Type 1 Diabetes
The day your child is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes is a day that changes everything except for how much you love your child and the fact that, as a Mom, you will do whatever it takes to keep your child healthy and safe.
Parenting a child with Type 1 diabetes is a matter of life and death, which means it brings a whole new set of worries, fears, and even angry moments that other parents don’t have to face. Caring for a child with Type 1 diabetes is a full-time job, and the stakes are as high as they get, which is why these moms are nothing less than heroes.
They’re genuine warriors who wake up each morning prepared to let nothing stand in the way of their child’s blood sugar control and health. Between the blood glucose tests, insulin treatments, and unique dietary needs of their children, these moms don’t get much rest. They rarely see a break in the action; they seldom get time for themselves, and yet they manage to approach most days with joy, hope, and immense gratitude for all that’s possible when it comes to treating their child’s Type 1 diabetes.
There’s a simple but poignant quote by the late actor (and Superman in his own right), Christopher Reeve, that’s appropriate for all the undaunted Moms who go above and beyond for their kids with Type 1 diabetes. It reads as follows.
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure despite overwhelming obstacles.”
Need we say more? Thanks to all the D1 moms taking care of your kids and actively growing awareness to promote research and drive breakthroughs in diabetes management and treatment. We applaud you.
What Do Moms Of Kids With Type 1 Diabetes Do?
In a word - everything! Here’s a short list (there are a lot more) that any Mom of a child with diabetes can surely relate to:
- Wake up to check blood sugar in the middle of the night
- Handle sudden and unexpected blood sugar dips and spikes
- Prepare a diabetes-healthy diet every day
- Count carbs and do the blood sugar math every day
- Teach family, friends, and teachers what to do in case of an emergency
- Be there with a hug during those days when life seems unfair to your child
- Encourage your child to be anything they want to be
- Teach your child about diabetes self-management
- Work with doctors and care teams to improve diabetes management
- Manage medications, diabetes equipment, and give injections
- Put up with others who fail to understand anything about Type 1 diabetes
- Give love, love, and more love
All Moms have their checklists. However, the lists of D1 moms include monumentally important things other moms are fortunate enough never to worry about. It’s not easy managing a child’s diabetes.
D1 Moms Can Love So Much They Feel Guilty
Nearly 15,000 children are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes each year in the United States. For many parents, when their child is diagnosed, the first reaction is shock and disbelief. Emotions like anger and fear often follow this. Sometimes, feelings of guilt will enter the mind of a loving parent.
It doesn’t matter that these Moms (and Dads) understand that Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease and that there is nothing they did to cause it, nor is there any way they could have prevented it.
After all, our emotions are rarely based on rational thought. Instead, they’re born from feelings like love and the desire to protect those under our wings. So, it’s understandable that the mother of a child with Type 1 diabetes could feel guilty despite knowing the facts about the disease.
The support of fellow family members, close friends, teachers, co-workers, and other parents of children with diabetes can be tremendously helpful. Even so, some Moms need added assistance, and joining a support group or speaking with a therapist who understands the rigors of diabetes management can make a world of difference.
Suppose you’re a Mom doing your best but still feel overwhelmed. In that case, The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has an online mental health directory that can direct you to therapists who specialize in diabetes care.
Don’t Say This To A D1 Mom!
Generally, Moms of kids with Type 1 diabetes tend to view life with a good sense of humor. After all, laughter is an excellent diversion for both parents and kids. For D1 Moms, sometimes, you have to laugh at the silly things people say who don’t have a clue what it’s like to live with diabetes or parent a child with diabetes. Here are a few doozies we came across:
Don’t say these things to a D1 Mom unless you want to be laughed at, scolded, or made to feel downright silly.
Once again, thank you to all the D1 Moms out there testing, treating, advocating, and caring for your children each day, and Happy Mother’s Day. We hope you have an amazing one.
At Diabetic Warehouse, we’re committed to helping those with diabetes manage blood sugar with a complete selection of testing and treatment supplies at up to 65% less than those found at most pharmacies and suppliers.
