When I was in high school, I knew one kid with diabetes. And the only reason I knew she had diabetes was because she did a presentation for my Health class on diabetes. I knew about diabetes - and in some ways, based on her presentation - it seemed I knew more about diabetes than she did. She joked about eating chips knowing it would skew her numbers and that she would wind up higher than she should have been. I knew that it needed to be properly controlled. But I didn't say anything, because we were 15, and I figured, well, maybe she knows more than I do, since she's the one with diabetes.
Little did I know, 20 years later, I'd be diagnosed with diabetes as well. And I could totally see why sometimes she would eat something she shouldn't because it gets tedious, and sometimes, telling people you're diabetic isn't something you want to do.
It can be especially hard for kids to explain to their friends why they test their blood, why they take needles and why they need to carry things on them like juice boxes and candies, that they don't eat - unless they have to.
I remember my sister having a friend in Grade 4 who was diabetic. One incredibly hot day at the end of the school year, the teacher brought in popsicles (in the days when teachers could actually bring food into the class as a treat without somebody screaming about allergies or unhealthy snacks). Obviously, this well controlled diabetic 9 year old couldn't have a popsicle - so she said "All I have to do is run around outside for about 10 minutes and that will bring my blood sugar down enough that I can have a popsicle". She lasted about 3 minutes outside before the heat got to her. But I think she did wind up able to have that popsicle - with the extra bonus of NOT going so low that she needed more than one popsicle.
These days, kids have so many more options for monitoring and treatment than they did 20 or 30 years ago. But the stigma of being 'the sick kid' hasn't entirely gone away.
Enter: American Girl. Now, I'm not going to go off on my usual rant about American Girl and how ridiculously expensive these dolls are ($100 for a bunch of PLASTIC!?), because in this case, American Girl is doing something right. They are making diabetes something normal. They have made a blood kit and pump for the American Girl doll. At the very least, this company has recognized that American Girls (and Canadian, and every other type of girl) come in many different varieties. There are Girls in wheelchairs, blind Girls, and now, diabetic Girls. The New York Times (not my favourite paper, but for a different reason) wrote a blog discussing the new diabetic Girl kit.
The kit itself (which retails for US$24) was the brainchild of a child brain. 13 year old Anja Busse of Wisconsin started a petition to American Girl asking them to make the kit for girls like her. At 11, Anja was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. And now, her American Girl doll has too. But she is well taken care of by Anja, who can test her doll's "blood" with a fake lancing device and check it on the make-believe monitor. She can attach her doll's insulin pump to her clothes, and make sure any sugar lows are treated with the make believe glucose tabs that come in the kit. (the online catalogue page can be found here). What's amazing about this... it's currently backordered. Which means the product is popular enough that they have sold out. Although it could also mean they don't make that many - but I think the popularity of the request was enough that they have actually sold out.
At the bottom of the page linked above - there are related items. American Girl really has made it so that "different" is normal. A quick look at the few products available they carry an "allergy free lunch" for your doll, crutches and a wheelchair, and even a cast and crutches (the "Feel Better" kit) if your real girl breaks her leg.
Kids have a much different and in some ways much more difficult life than we did 20-30, and more years ago. It's nice that there are companies who make it so that their differences - aren't different.
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