Nursery World - Case study: Kerry-Lyn, aged 31/2

A year ago, Kerry-Lyn Bass, now three-and-a-half, went off her food and became very sleepy. Her mum, Jackie Jones, and her doctor thought she had a tummy bug. But by the next morning, Jackie couldn't wake her daughter and Kerry-Lyn was rushed to hospital. She was in a coma. She had Type 1 diabetes and spent a week and a half in Whipps Cross Hospital in Essex. Kerry-Lyn now has to have her blood sugar levels tested four times a day and an injection of insulin every morning. At first, it was difficult to regulate. 'In the beginning, I was absolutely petrified to let her out of my sight,' says Jackie. 'I stayed at the playgroup with her all morning. I didn't think it was fair for her to miss out on going because she loves it so much.'

Kerry-Lyn now has to have her blood sugar levels tested four times a day and an injection of insulin every morning. At first, it was difficult to regulate. 'In the beginning, I was absolutely petrified to let her out of my sight,' says Jackie. 'I stayed at the playgroup with her all morning. I didn't think it was fair for her to miss out on going because she loves it so much.'

Kerry-Lyn's playgroup, which she had started a few months before being diagnosed, is used to her needs. If her blood sugar gets too low, Kerry-Lyn needs a sugary drink, followed by a long-acting carbohydrate.

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