An 18-month-old boy was only days away from death when his mother took him for a life-saving type 1 diabetes test.
Charlie Bradford had such high glucose levels that he needed emergency treatment.
His mother credits an article by Grimsby Telegraph and others for showing her the signs of the life-threatening illness that can easily go unnoticed.
Charlie is now four years old and coping like a champ after being fitted with an insulin pump to help him manage his lifelong condition.
Mother Emma Day hopes his story can trigger another parent to take their child on the life-saving test.
Mom Emma Day spotted the signs of Charlie’s diabetes just in time
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“Charlie was 18 months old when we noticed a change in behavior due to his becoming more active and learning to walk,” said Emma of Benniworth, Lincolnshire.
“He had lost a bit of weight, was more irritable, and filled his diaper quickly.
“It wasn’t until I read a story in the Grimsby Telegraph about a student who had died of diagnosed type 1 diabetes that I thought the symptoms sounded similar to Charlie’s.
“We made the quick decision to take him to the GP on Friday night and they ran a simple test that showed he probably had him.
Emma Day and Tom Bradford have urged parents to watch out for the potentially fatal signs of type 1 diabetes
(Image: Donna Clifford / Grimsby Live)
“We later found out that his ketones were dangerously high – if we hadn’t gone then he might not have made it through the weekend, which is hard to think about.
“Fortunately, they were able to stabilize themselves in him and show us how to properly deal with his condition.”
His father Tom Bradford said, “If type 1 diabetes isn’t found, it’s incredibly fatal. We had 48 hours off to lose it – he wouldn’t be here with us right now.”
“It is incredibly important if you notice changes in your children, such as drinking more or using the bathroom, that you have it checked because it could save their lives.”
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes are often overlooked, leading to the development of diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening disease. Here are the four T’s to look for in young people and children:
- Toilet – Going to the toilet or wetting the bed frequently
- Thirsty – Have to drink all the time
- Tired – I feel more tired than usual for no reason
- thinner – Losing weight in an unexplained way.
If you experience these symptoms in yourself or in another person, see a doctor. Type 1 diabetes can be diagnosed with a simple blood test and treated with insulin to prevent it from becoming life-threatening.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t make its own insulin, which controls blood sugar.
If levels get too low, the person may fall into a coma, but too high, and the body makes chemicals called ketones that can lead to organ failure.
The disease can develop at any point in time and is not lifestyle related like type 2.
The most common signs of the 4 T’s – tiredness, getting thinner, going to the bathroom more often, and being thirsty.
“Charlie is completely insulin dependent, which means we’re constantly on one leg on a tightrope,” said Emma.
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“Everything that goes beyond his lips has to be weighed and calculated. You can’t just give him a cookie like you would any other child. As a parent, it’s very worrying.
“A few days after the diagnosis, he was fitted with an insulin pump that he wears day and night.
“The condition will be with him for the rest of his life.
“In a way, it’s a blessing that he was so young that he doesn’t remember a time before. He grows up learning and copes like a champion.
An insulin pump that regulates blood sugar
(Image: Stuart Vance / West Lothian Courier)
“Little is known about type 1 diabetes, although 400,000 people in the UK have it, including 29,000 children, and there has been a huge increase in recent years.
“At the moment there is no known cause or cure, although there is research on artificial pancreases that would change life.”
She added, “If we hadn’t known about these characters, Charlie would likely have died – I want to share his story and possibly save someone else’s life.”
Anyone interested in helping research into the disease can donate to the JDRF and find more information about the disease on the NHS website.
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