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Family memberBorn in London in 1987.
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Overview:
Tom`s mother, Gillian, is a single parent with Type 1 diabetes and Tom remembers that from an early age he was given his uncle`s phone number to ring, in case his mother had a hypo. In fact, he rarely had to do anything more than bring her some chocolate and it wasn`t until his sister, Natasha, was diagnosed with diabetes in 1999, that he began to learn about the disease. Natasha was six at the time and Tom was eleven: since then he feels that he has played a significant role in helping his mother to manage his sister`s diabetes.
There is also an interview with Tom`s mother, Gillian.
Please note that Overview relates to date of recording Monday, September 3, 2007
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| Short
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1 When Tom was in his mid-teens, Natasha had some serious hypos and his mother called on him for help. [ 57 secs ] |  | 2 Natasha was reluctant to do anything apart from the minimum number of injections. She resisted doing blood sugar tests and Tom had to persuade her to change from two to three insulin injections a day. [ 57 secs ] | |
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| Available
interview tracks |
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| 01 I’m nearly 20. Mum single parent with diabetes. Sister has diabetes. Different from other households – syringes, insulin in fridge. | |
| | 02 When young, given uncle’s phone number in case Mum had hypo. Fascinated by old blood sugar machine. If Mum woke hypo, I brought chocolate. | |
| | 03 When Mum pregnant with sister, doctor told me to look after her – I was proud. Later uncle told me to look after her & I stormed out. Mum had benign tumour – I wrongly thought that part of diabetes. | |
| | 04 I learnt re hypos, but Mum coped well. Sometimes I’d tell her she needed sugar because she was being unreasonable! No tense atmosphere, but when other things going wrong, hypo an added factor. | |
| | 05 Friends saw Mum do injections or insulin in fridge. I liked our household being different. Discussion - should she inject in restaurants? Just interesting, never embarrassing. | |
| | 06 Sister Tasha diagnosed 1999, when I was 11 & she was 6. Mum didn’t dare do blood sugar: when it was high, left room upset. I stayed with uncle. Tasha in hospital 2 days with Mum & Dad. (When Mum diagnosed, stayed in a week). | |
| 07 Dad often visited weekends – this time stayed week. Ward a fun place.
Sister accepted insulin injections, but often refused to do blood sugars. Mum tried different methods of persuasion. | |
| | 08 Mum talked to Tasha’s friends - very supportive. Mum prepared friends’ parents if Tasha stayed night. Tasha didn’t want fuss. | |
| | 09 Mum couldn’t persuade her to move from two injections to three, but I did. I ‘ve talked to her after Mum’s tried everything. | |
| | 10 Primary school thought they knew re diabetes, but ignorant. Hospital sent information. | |
| | 11 Secondary school better informed, but had to make sure all teachers knew. Helped that I was in last year when Tasha in 1st year. | |
| | 12 I was most involved when Tasha had serious hypos in night. I was calmer than Mum. Rubbed HypoStop into gums. Worried when told at school not to go near mouth of someone having fit. | |
| | 13 Mum didn’t want to do Glucagon injection. After first serious hypo, GP trained me. In 2nd emergency tried & failed to do injection. Called ambulance each time. Last emergency worried me. | |
| | 14 No other training from NHS. Mum knew everything, but other families would need training. I liked meeting another brother of a diabetic sister. | |
| 15 Sister didn’t want to go on camps – didn’t want all friends to have diabetes, but maybe found it good not to be only one.
When I hear people talk about diabetes, I’m interested, glad to find it’s normal. | |
| | 16 Long periods when I’m not involved but other times when I’m fully involved. They coped fine when I was away. | |
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