A school girl from Salford with diabetes is celebrating her mother’s fundraising efforts after she walked one million steps for charity.
Samantha Fallows, 38, from Weaste raised £400 throughout Diabetes UK‘s One Million Steps Challenge, to commemorate 5 years from when her daughter was diagnosed with the condition.
Grace Lawler, 15, is just one of the 16,000 people in Salford living with diabetes according to the Salford Clinical Commissioning Group.
Samantha said: “When we found out that Grace had diabetes, it changed all our lives. I wanted to do the step challenge because all money raised will fund research to help find a
cure.”
“I have an office job so wanted to get more active, her father did it a few years ago so when I saw it advertised I thought now would be a good time to do it.”
Running from 1 July to 30 September, the One Million Step Challenge encourages participants to take at least 10,000 steps a day, raising sponsorship money whilst doing so.
Diabetes UK is the UK’s leading diabetes charity and supports everyone affected by the country’s biggest and growing health crisis.
“In the future I would really like to get involved in more diabetes fundraising events myself but I am so proud of my mum for doing this. I want to be a paramedic when I’m older so I
can help people like me” said Grace.
Diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic in October 2014, Grace has spent the last 5-years learning to manage the condition alongside her school and social life.
The NHS website says Diabetic Hypoglycaemia, also known as a ‘hypo’, is a condition that occurs when the level of sugar (glucose) in your blood drops too low. Despite
managing her diabetes with insulin injections, Grace regularly experiences hypos.
“I have hypos quite often, you can have severe ones and ones that aren’t as bad, I’d say I have one once a week. I will get really hungry and shaky and have to take a glucose tablet or
eat some jelly babies” Grace explained.
Samantha added: “We’ve had to phone an ambulance a couple of times when she has had severe ones. She had one in her sleep once and was all confused…I thought at first that
she’d had a stroke… but she’d had a major hypo in her sleep to the point where she had not even woken up.”
Hypoglycaemia Awareness Week 2019, which took place from 30 September to 6 October, aims to raise awareness of the condition and improve outcomes.
The Salford Diabetes Team at Salford Royal Hospital spent the week providing tips and information about treating hypos.
Hypo Awareness Week is taking place from September 30th to October 6th and we are delighted to be among those taking part. It’s essential to raise awareness of hypoglycaemia and improve outcomes. #HAW2019 #HypoAwarenessWeek @SalfordRoyalNHS pic.twitter.com/mYFFXriiuc
— Salford Diabetes Team (@SalfordDiabetes) September 26, 2019
They urged: “Hypos must be treated immediately, the blood glucose level must be checked 10 minutes post Hypo treatment to ensure it has risen above 4.0.”
Tips for caring for patients with diabetes – Hypos must be treated immediately – the blood glucose level must be checked 10 minutes post Hypo treatment to ensure it has risen above 4.0.#HypoAwarenessWeek pic.twitter.com/TXzyxaDcJ8
— Salford Royal NHS (@SalfordRoyalNHS) September 30, 2019
Credit: Lucy Clayton
For more information and to take part in next year’s One Million Steps challenge please visit Diabetes UK
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