A central Texas family is raising awareness of type 1 diabetes after their toddler was diagnosed
The CDC says diabetes is on the rise in children. The number of diagnoses is expected to increase by 65% over the next 40 years.
LIBERTY HILL, Texas – Ally and Eric Samouse said their lives have changed after learning their 2-year-old son Nathan has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
“It is much. I mean, it’s very – it’s scary. Your child could die at any time if, for example, it gets too deep if you are not up to date. They’re just — you’re on your phone all the time to make sure its readings are where they’re supposed to be,” Samouse said.
Ally said the family had no history of diabetes and they weren’t aware of any warning signs until they started potty training.
“I noticed how often he went to the toilet. It was just a crowd – about every 15 minutes – and it was a crowd every time. So I was like, ‘This looks kind of weird,’ but I was a first. Mal mom, so I was like, ‘Well, maybe he’ll just go,’ you know, that’s just normal,” Samouse said.
Samouse added that they noticed Nathan’s weight loss as well, but didn’t think twice about it.
“I didn’t know the symptoms because that wasn’t on our radar at all. But looking back, I thought, yes, he drank a lot of water and lost some weight, but I kind of thought he also just grew and got bigger,” Samouse said.
dr Stephen Ponder, who is one of Nathan’s pediatricians Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Hospitalsaid that symptoms of type 1 diabetes are often overlooked, mainly because the symptoms are not very specific.
“Type 1 diabetes is sorely missed. It always has been. And I hate to say this, but it always will be until people are aware of these basic symptoms – increased thirst, increased urination, unexplained weight loss. Get the child to see a doctor as soon as possible,” Ponder said.
The CDC recently said that childhood diabetes is on the rise and expects to see a 65% increase in children diagnosed over the next 40 years.
“I think we’re learning more and more about type 1 diabetes every day. We have better therapies to treat him. We have ways of predicting it. We have ways to slow him down. So we’ve never been in a better position in history to be able to fight that,” Ponder said.
The Samouses said they were lucky to catch it early and as they learn to manage the disease they hope by sharing their story they can be an advocate for other parents so they too can spot the signs can.
“I think that’s the biggest thing to say to a family who’s been newly diagnosed. It doesn’t get any easier. It’s hard to say because it really isn’t, it’s not getting any easier. You just get more confident and it becomes easier that way you know what you’re doing and you don’t have to figure out why and how to control its values every day,” Samouse said.
https://www.kvue.com/article/news/health/type-1-diabetes-children/269-7249691b-5598-4527-aff7-839500ece547 A central Texas family is raising awareness of type 1 diabetes after their toddler was diagnosed
