Sam Lim (Tangney, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Within my electorate of Tangney, 610 people have type 1 diabetes and a further 6,000 people are directly affected by the condition. Recently, a young boy named Nik shared his experience of type 1 diabetes with me. Nik's story touched my heart deeply, and I will let his words speak for themselves:

My Diabetes Story by Nik Mirco

On the 7th of August 2018, I was diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes.

I was 7 years old and my whole world was flipped upside down.

We went to get a check-up because I was feeling tired, wetting the bed a lot, drinking a lot of water, and my sores were not healing.

When we went for a check-up, the doctor made me do a urine test. He saw that there was a lot of sugar in there. He then did a finger prick and tested my blood and told us we needed to go to the hospital immediately because I had type 1 diabetes.

My blood sugar levels were 35. They should be only between 4-8. It was dangerously high. When I went to the hospital it was all very new and scary for me.

Every time I needed insulin I had to have a needle. I hated the needles so much and in the first year I had to be held down so that mum or dad could give the insulin to me.

Having insulin was the thing that was keeping me alive, but I still did not want it.

When I was in the hospital and it was time for insulin, I ran away all through the corridors trying to get away from the nurses. My dad ran after me and caught me because he went the opposite way and when I came around the corner I ran straight into him.

He then brought me back to my room to give me a needle. It was excruciating. I cried and cried.

I have got a lot braver over the years and have now gotten used to the 5-10 needles per day. I spent over a week at the hospital. I still remember having a really bad low, which is when my blood sugar goes very low and I need sugar immediately.

This happens a lot (almost every day).

One time when I was playing with my cousins, I had to stop and sit down because I felt sick and dizzy and have a can of lemonade. This brought my blood sugars back up and I could then go back to play with my cousins.

Lots of people came and visited me in the hospital. I had to learn with my parents all about my new life with diabetes.

I had lots of visitors like my teachers, friends and family.

I was very scared to come home and start my new life because it was hard and painful.

I wanted my old life back and I couldn't understand why it had to happen to me!

The impact on my life from this Diabetes is huge. It made me change my whole diet. We had to have less sugar and carbs, which was hard when my favourite meal was SPAGHETTI.

My whole life flipped. One minute I was a normal kid without a worry in the world and the next I had a million things to worry about all day long.

I needed to make sure that I wasn't too high or too low. I had to make sure I had a bag with me with insulin and jellybeans all the time.

I miss out on a lot of things from being low or too high, things like sports carnivals, excursions, soccer games and much more.

I never get a break from having diabetes. It is with me forever unless there is a cure.

I would love my old life back, one without Type 1 Diabetes, and to be a carefree kid again!!!!!!

Thank you, Nik, for sharing your story with me.

Mr Speaker, Labor has a long history of supporting people with diabetes. Labor first established the Insulin Pump Program in 2008. The insulin pump helps diabetes patients by reducing the needle pain, and in 2022 the Labor government introduced a subsidy for the next generation of insulin pumps, bringing the average price down from over $400 a month to a maximum co-payment of $29 a month. I'm proud to be part of a government that's reducing Nik's pain and reducing the financial burden on his parents through the Insulin Pump Program.