Stephen and Helen Farrow along with their family, are taking part in the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run this year. All in memory of their son Simon.
Stephen & Helen
Son passed away from undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes aged 27
Their journey
- Simon was a healthy 27 year young man who was conscious of his health and fitness
- He developed a bad bout of flu
- Both Simon and his family were unaware that he had undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes
- His insulin levels dropped dangerously and he developed Diabetic Ketacidosis which tragically took his life
- Family are running to honour his memory and to raise awareness of this complication of Type 1 diabetes
Simon's story
Our beautiful son Simon was sadly taken from us one year ago. He was a healthy 27 year young man who was very health conscious. Unfortunately, Simon had a bad bout off flu which caused him to lose his appetite. What we didn’t know at the time and neither did Simon, is that he had undiagnosed Ddiabetes. As he was a healthy young man, his lifestyle masked the condition. Once the flu got hold of him, his insulin levels dropped to a dangerous level causing diabetic ketacidosis (DKA). This sadly took him from us
Running in memory
We are doing this run to raise awareness of am doing this run to raise awareness of diabetic ketacidosis. We wish that we knew more about this condition and the signs to look out for. We are not runners but we feel we need to do something to get Simon's story out there and are determined to complete the 10k distance. Diabetes is a serious condition and we would like to raise much needed funds for Diabetes UK and to educate and inform people who don't know much about it.
Emotions
The support that people have shown to date has been fantastic and it's been so encouraging. He was a beautiful person inside and out and missed more than we could ever of imagined. He was our world.
"Diabetes is a serious condition and we would like to raise much needed funds for Diabetes UK and to educate and inform people who don't know much about it."
Information on DKA
Consistently high blood glucose levels can lead to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This happens when a severe lack of insulin means the body cannot use glucose for energy, and the body starts to break down other body tissue as an alternative energy source. Ketones are the by-product of this process. Ketones are poisonous chemicals which build up and, if left unchecked, will cause the body to become acidic – hence the name 'acidosis'.
Interested in running the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run?
If you have been inspired by Stephen and Helen's courageous story, you may be interested in running for us. We will offer you full support in the lead up to and on the day of the event itself. Minimum sponsorship applies for charity places.
