How a Maidenhead mum is pioneering Type 1 diabetes awareness in the area

A Maidenhead mum is looking to create a better support network for families affected by Type 1 (T1) diabetes after her son was diagnosed with the condition.

Kelly Wheeler’s world suddenly felt unfamiliar and isolated when her five-year-old son, Jude, was diagnosed in March.

There was no history of T1 in her family and when she contacted Diabetes UK looking for local support groups, she found there were none in Maidenhead.

Kelly is now hoping to create a Maidenhead-based community to provide face-to-face support for families and individuals to share, support and connect over T1.

Kelly said: “I want to create a local support network that we can just say ‘let's go to a cafe in Maidenhead at 11:00 o'clock on a Tuesday’ and whoever wants to come along can just talk diabetes or talk about life or just talk about how we're all coping.

“I just want there to be more of an awareness of Type 1 diabetes.

“I think we are so isolated sometimes because you think you're the only people going through this.

“Social media is fantastic and there’s a lot of great stuff there, but I don’t think you can replace face-to-face contact.”

Kelly also wants to see more diabetes training in children’s clubs to help staff understand the condition, but she made clear that she was not looking for someone to administer insulin to her child.

She added: “I'm just trying to say that holiday clubs or after school clubs or places that offer childcare assistants, they need to be more open minded, and they need to be more accessible.”

The mum praised the diabetes team at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, saying they have been ‘phenomenal’ with providing the family with help and support.

She said the team offers free diabetes training to organisations and that some clubs in Maidenhead, which Jude is a part of, were keen to receive this training to accommodate his needs.

Kelly said she will always be a quick drive away from Jude’s clubs to administer his insulin if she is needed.

But wish is for clubs to have the training to recognise the symptoms of T1 and be able to keep an extra eye on Jude or any other child who might have T1.

Anyone interested in contacting Kelly can email at kelly.wheeler1980@outlook.com