Millie from Newport walked 30 miles to raise awareness and money for Diabetes UK Cymru.
She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in May 2022. Millie’s father also lives with the condition, so the family knew what to look out for.
Her mother Rebecca said: “Her symptoms were typical: weight loss, thirst, tiredness, a lot of sleepless nights, also loss of hair. Luckily, she was diagnosed before going into DKA. Even though I knew a lot about type 1 diabetes and what to do it was still a massive hit to me as a mother, but Millie has coped with it very well and just accepted it.”
"Millie loves swimming and cricket and is learning how to knit and adjusting to changes in her life with good medical and school support.
“Three teachers in the school and all her classmates help her daily and during hypos. They all asked Millie to explain what diabetes was and how they can help her, which has been really positive," Rebecca added.
Millie had done charity fundraising before, such as donating her hair when she found out she had type 1 diabetes. She jumped at the chance of raising awareness and decided to walk 30 miles in July. “It was a challenge, but she is very proud to have raised £480,"
"Millie had hypos sometimes after a mile and was walking through the heatwave but kept on going and completed the challenge," Rebecca
Joseph Cuff, Diabetes UK Cymru’s Regional Fundraiser said: “We’re so impressed and grateful that Millie has walked in tough conditions to support our charity. It’s great to see our young supporters taking their fundraising seriously and educating others about diabetes in Wales.”
Education is key and Millie’s mother regrets that many still have misconceptions about diabetes: “Most people aren’t aware of hypos or hypers and don’t know there’s a difference between them, which as a parent is scary. If my child was to ever need help during a hypo and someone gives them the wrong thing to eat it could put them in danger, so more information is needed about diabetes," she explained.
For facts about diabetes and myth-busting go to: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/myths-and-faqs
The most common symptoms of type 1 diabetes are the 4 Ts: (Toilet more, thirsty, thinner, tired).
