Group established to help young diabetic patients cope

Dec 21, 2016 News

There is some stigma associated with diabetes. Some people are accused of consuming too much sweet and are even ridiculed if they develop this disease. However, what many people may not know is that developing the disease may not

Miss Keziah Nestor

at times be preventable. There may not be a clear reason why some people have the disease in the first place.
Adults are certainly not the only ones suffering from the disease. There are a number of young people who have been living with Type One Diabetes for most of their lives.
Type One Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that hampers the body’s capabilities to produce insulin. Medical experts are yet to ascertain what causes this disease to occur.
Many young people are, however, not too keen on disclosing their condition for fear that they will be a target for ridicule.
But this should not be the case asserted, Keziah Nestor, President of the Young Leaders, the youth arm of the Guyana Diabetic Association.
In fact it was in order to give young diabetics an avenue to share their concerns and feel appreciated even with their infliction that the youth arm was established.
Reflecting on the genesis of the group, Nestor recalled that although she has been around people in her immediate family with the condition all of her life, it was only a few years ago that she learnt that the condition could be especially depressing to young people.
She spoke of a friend having the disease for five years before speaking about it. “He was very afraid and he thought there weren’t other young people with it. My mother is a diabetic; my grandfather and an uncle too are diabetics…so I was surrounded by diabetes all the time,” related Nestor as she pointed out that “there is this idea that diabetes is an old people thing.”
But according to Nestor, she had long recognised that although she is not currently infected with the disease, she has over the years been very affected.
Nestor, moreover, has the ability to easily empathise with young people who have the disease.
She noted that since “some people don’t like telling other people they’re sick, we are trying (through this group) to get people to come out.”
“My friend was hiding it for five years; it wasn’t easy for him to come out and tell people he is diabetic because as soon as somebody hears that somebody is diabetic, you hear, ‘Oh he or she eats too much sugar or he or she is eating too much chocolate’,” Nestor disclosed.
The Young Leaders group was therefore formed, Nestor said, to be a support group for young diabetic patients so that they can share their emotions. “It helps to save lives because we have been able to find others who have Type One Diabetes. We have one member who got so depressed because of her condition…She is taking insulin and because of this she is gaining weight and is not happy with how she is looking. But when she is around other young people she gets to understand she is not the only one,” Nestor explained.
The group currently has about 20 members but, according to Nestor, “We are hoping to grow in 2017.”
In addition to facilitating talks whereby members can better cope with their condition, the group also spearheads other activities including international trips so that its members can be exposed to other cultures. Added to this, Nestor said that “for the young ladies who don’t feel that they are pretty enough we also plan on having sessions for them to help build their self esteem.”
Becoming a part of the group is as simple as expressing an interest, said Nestor. She revealed that the group meets the first Wednesday of each month at the Croal Street, Georgetown ‘Clean Cars Complex’ drive through car wash.
“Once you express your interest we have an application form you can sign up and you pay the $2000 to get your badge with your picture and you are a part of group just like that,” Nestor informed.
With backing from the Guyana Diabetic Association, the group will today be facilitating a clinic/camp for Type One Diabetic patients at the Charlotte and Alexander Streets, Georgetown Nursing Association Hall.
Today’s session is being held in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health. “They are going to see the doctor, and they will be given advice and some may probably have insulin administered to them too,” said Nestor.

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