Family/grandparents
Kay lives a fair distance away from her to get involved. ‘I think it’s terribly important
grandsons, so is not involved with child care, to read as much as you can and understand
but Magnus’s brothers have each been to stay it,’ she says. ‘So you can be there to talk to
with her for holidays, and this is something the parents about it. Grandparents can be a
she feels uncertain that Magnus will be able tremendous support,’ she says.
to do. ‘It would’ve been his turn next,’ she Lynne Day, chair of the Widnes and
says, ‘but we can’t at the moment; I don’t feel St Helens Children’s Diabetic Group – set up
competent to deal with it.’ She hopes when by Diabetes UK – agrees, especially as she
Magnus is a little older and more independent points out that the information grandparents
that he will be able to visit. ‘He will come at might have about diabetes can be very
some point,’ she smiles. outdated. ‘Grandparents should get involved
from day one,’ she says. ‘When a child is
Doing something positive diagnosed our team encourages parents
Kay’s sense of helplessness about Magnus’s to bring the grandparents into the training
diagnosis spurred her on to do something sessions as well – it’s another set of hands,’
wonderful in his name. ‘What does one do she says.
when your grandchild has this?’ she asks. ‘You Lynne’s group has many grandparents
want to help, don’t you?’ coming along to meet and support each
Initially Kay opted to make a monthly other, and often she sees that they are taking
donation to Juvenile Diabetes Research care of the younger children in the family
Foundation (JDRF) but later she decided she during the day. When they are this hands-on
wanted to do more. In a bid to raise more and are responsible for the child’s food and
money she decided on a sponsorship challenge blood testing, it’s important they are aware
and thought she might do a parachute jump. of all the dos and don’ts. But even those that
Horrified friends and family members instead see the children less frequently need to play
sponsored her not to jump and she raised their part, says Lynne.
more than £4,000 by not throwing herself out ‘Grandparents should get involved as
of an aeroplane! much as they can in the early stages, so when
Now she plans to do more fundraising. the children do start to sleep over they know
She is proud of Magnus and her daughter, a exactly what to do,’ she says. ‘Also, the more the family, and the easier it is on the mums
doctor, who is helping Magnus manage his they can help and support, the sooner things and dads,’ says Lynne.
diabetes, and she advises other grandparents get back to being normal everyday life for Lynne believes that providing a shoulder
is one of the best things grandparents can
do as their children – the parents – struggle
to come to terms with a diagnosis. But it can
be hard for everyone involved. ‘Emotions
run high and there can be a sense of
bereavement,’ she says. ‘They’ve “lost” this
healthy child, and it’s a big shock. It can be
several months down the line before they
realise you can live healthily with diabetes.’
If I could have it for them…
And sometimes it might be even harder for
grandparents to accept. As we get older
we all know that we’re more likely to get
things wrong with us, or succumb to certain
ailments, but we would never expect the
youngsters in the family to have to face a
condition from which they will never recover.
‘They’re all desperate for a cure,’ says Lynne.
‘It’s the first thing the grandparents always
say to me,’ she adds.
‘If I could have it for her, I would,’ says
Ruth Joyce, grandma to Abigail, 11, who
ShutterStock: poSed by ModelS was also first diagnosed two years ago. u u
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