Aimee was 39 weeks pregnant with her third child when her four-year-old daughter Chloee was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, giving birth while Chloee was still in hospital. She remembers her husband running back and forth between the birthing suite and the children’s ward!
On the 28th of October 2013, our lives changed. It had all started a few days earlier, one month after our beautiful little girl’s fourth birthday.
I was 39 weeks pregnant at the time with our third child. After several days of excessive thirst and bed wetting we thought it was time to get Chloee to a doctor to see what was going on before her brother was born! We had no knowledge of diabetes or its symptoms, and didn’t know what we were up for.
At the time, my Nan was in The Canberra Hospital due to a fall. As we were visiting her there daily anyway, it was convenient for me to take Chloee to the Emergency Room. I thought to myself, I’m taking what seems to be a healthy child to the ER, and was worried they would tell me to make an appointment with my GP instead. Well, she was far from a healthy child!
I could never have possibly imagined that I would ever hear the words, “Your daughter has Type 1 Diabetes!” Those words will forever leave an ache in our hearts.
Chloee was admitted and placed on insulin treatment right away. Her seven days in hospital were the hardest time of our lives, not to mention what our extremely scared and frightened little girl had to endure.
Four days in, I went into labour – a very bittersweet moment indeed. It’s hard to be happy and grieve all at the same time. My husband was back and forth between paediatrics and the birthing suite all day. Two minutes after our son was born, he ran back to be with and hold down our terrified little girl as she was given her insulin.
Twelve months on, and we certainly have come a long way. It took a good six months for Chloee to settle into her new life and routine, it wasn’t easy to say the least. Then just when you think you’re getting on top of things, life goes and throws another curve ball at you… Enter coeliac disease!
I am however very thankful that we were able to pick up Chloee’s diagnoses in the early stages. It just goes to show, always trust your parental instinct!