IT\u2019S National Diabetes Week and as part of the seven days of awareness, one young person is bringing a local focus to the campaign.<\/p>\n
In March last year, 11-year-old Sienna Lehmann was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, resulting in life changes for her and her family.<\/p>\n
Sienna\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very sudden and a huge shock to us,\u201d said Ms Lehmann.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite working in health care, Ms Lehmann said she realised just how much she had to learn about the disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwenty-four-seven you are thinking about what her blood sugar level is, anytime she eats you\u2019ve got to consider how much insulin she has,\u201d said Ms Lehmann.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a constant battle really, it\u2019s exhausting.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
She said she believes there is a lack of general understanding about it and the difference between type 1 and type 2.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an autoimmune condition, it\u2019s not because she ate too much sugar as a kid\u2026 she couldn\u2019t avoid this, it was going to happen regardless,\u201d Ms Lehmann said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Sienna would like to not be treated different. She\u2019s determined to not let diabetes stop her in her life.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wants to go support other people with diabetes as well\u2026 just to keep going with life and don\u2019t let it define you really.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IT\u2019S 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\u2019s mum, Erin Lehmann, is a registered nurse at […]<\/p>\n