Stopping the stigma around diabetes

IT’S National Diabetes Week and as part of the seven days of awareness, one young person is bringing a local focus to the campaign.

In March last year, 11-year-old Sienna Lehmann was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, resulting in life changes for her and her family.

Sienna’s mum, Erin Lehmann, is a registered nurse at Bendigo Health and said she initially thought her daughter had a urinary tract infection as she was going to the toilet a lot, but tests confirmed the long-term prognosis.

“It was very sudden and a huge shock to us,” said Ms Lehmann.

“I’m a registered nurse and I thought I knew a little bit about diabetes, until I actually had a daughter with it. I had not realised the complexity of this condition.”

Despite working in health care, Ms Lehmann said she realised just how much she had to learn about the disease.

“Twenty-four-seven you are thinking about what her blood sugar level is, anytime she eats you’ve got to consider how much insulin she has,” said Ms Lehmann.

“It’s just a constant battle really, it’s exhausting.”

Now Ms Lehmann, who is completing a Graduate Certificate of Diabetes Education, said her and Sienna want to do what they can to be ambassadors for the disease.

She said she believes there is a lack of general understanding about it and the difference between type 1 and type 2.

“This is an autoimmune condition, it’s not because she ate too much sugar as a kid… she couldn’t avoid this, it was going to happen regardless,” Ms Lehmann said.

“I think Sienna would like to not be treated different. She’s determined to not let diabetes stop her in her life.

“She wants to go support other people with diabetes as well… just to keep going with life and don’t let it define you really.”