DIABETES WA this week announced Maggie Dent, author and advocate, as its Run for a Reason Ambassador for 2016.
Ms Dent’s long-time passionate support of good public health policies was reinforced when her son Al was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 17.
Now 30, Al took the diagnosis “in his stride” but needed plenty of support to adjust to life with diabetes.
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READ NOW“The week of Al’s diagnosis is etched in my mind so deeply,” said Ms Dent. “Al was recovering from a knee operation so I was caring for him and he was disappearing in front of my eyes.
“He was dropping weight every minute it seemed.
“The moment of diagnosis was big. The doctor said, ‘Al, we believe you have sudden-onset, adolescent type 1 diabetes.’
Al asked, ‘so how do we fix this?’. When the doctor told us it was a life-long condition requiring regular insulin injections, our journey with type 1 diabetes began.”
Ms Dent will be supporting her son, and all young people and their families who live with type 1 diabetes, by taking on the 4km walk on May 22.
“We all need to ask people with diabetes ‘how can we support you’ and help reduce the stress that managing an illness can bring,” she said. “I am taking part in the Run for a Reason because I want to see as much support as possible go to Diabetes WA so they can keep supporting those living with, affected by or at risk of diabetes.”
Ms Dent kicked off the fundraising efforts by donating $1000 on behalf of her son Al and encourages others to support Diabetes WA by visiting https://hbfrun2016.everydayhero.com/au/maggie-dent.