Being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes can be quite confronting and requires a whole life transformation, but when you are diagnosed at aged three, the impact is even more widespread.
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When Charlotte Kennedy was diagnosed, mum Emily said it had a profound impact on the entire family and praised the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund who stepped in to help.
“When Charlotte was diagnosed it was eye opening at just what we needed to do in order for her to be healthy,” Ms Acheson said.
“Initially we were put in touch with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) which helped us with information and support in the early days.
“It was such a learning curve that we had to educate ourselves quickly for the sake of Charlotte.”
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong autoimmune disease that destroys the ability to produce insulin, a hormone which is vital for life.
People can be diagnosed with the disease at any age, though diagnosis is most common in children.
However, with no cure, the JDRF are constantly on the hunt for new technologies and research to find a cure and so the family have joined with others around the country taking their story to Canberra to try and secure more funding.
“Caring for someone with juvenile diabetes can be complicated and it has only been in recent times that Charlotte has been able to use technology to help her keep track of her insulin levels,” she said.
“This has been fantastic as she, her Dad and I can monitor it from our phones, but the reality is, a cure is what will fix it.
“So we have joined with the JDRF and other families all around the country to petition our federal representatives to ensure funding so that scientists can continue working for on a cure.
“We have met with Cowper MP, Luke Hartsuyker recently to ask if he will “remember me” (or Charlotte) when considering more funding for the JDRF and he has been very supportive of our cause.”
The causes of type 1 diabetes are not fully understood, though genetic and environmental triggers play a role.
There is also currently no way to prevent or cure type 1 diabetes.
The JDRF is asking for $50 million over five years which will be used to fund clinical trials and help find a cure and Charlotte said that when she goes to Canberra she hopes to tell prime minister Malcolm Turnbull her story.
“We are going to Canberra at the end of August (August 22-23) and we are going to meet with lots of kids from all over the country who have Type 1 diabetes – like me,” Charlotte said.
“We are going to have some meetings in Parliament House and I really hope I can meet prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and ask him to give more money to Type 1 diabetes research.
“I am going to tell him all the things I can’t do and have to do because I have Type 1 diabetes and have to do differently from my sister and I will say that finding a cure will be awesome.”
Charlotte said she has never been to Canberra before and is excited about meeting people just like her.
“I hope by all of us going to Parliament House together we can raise awareness for Type 1 diabetes and show that more funding should go into finding a cure,” she said.
Charlotte and Emily are taking part in the Kids in the House as representatives from the Cowper electorate from August 22-23 with the team from Kids in the House.
