Thanks to Ruth who forwarded me this article, and to Natasha for speaking out about this issue.
I’ll let you read the article for yourself, but in summary, Natasha (from Auckland) has an 18 month old son who has to have 12 injections a day. That just about breaks my heart in itself. Natasha has spoken out about the lack of funding for insulin pumps and consumables.
Natasha – there’s a great community of people on here so please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help. If you want help fundraising I’m willing to cook sausages outside The Warehouse or bake cakes… and can make a donation if you are setting up a fund.
The article again here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/central-leader/3092792/James-is-fed-up-with-daily-jabs
Posted in Funding, Insulin Pumps, Slice of Life
This post has 11 comments so far. Add yours here, or trackback from your own site.
11 comments have been made on this post
Matt Taylor wrote
Situation relates to many but not all type 1’s in NZ …. delivery of insulin pumps and the funding of them, not to mention the ongoing cost of consumables, shouldn’t be age related …. in Australia and most European countries ageism doesn’t apply …. funding is delivered according to need.
Sadly in NZ it’s largely down to the attitude of each individual DHB and as type 1’s have a low profile, even within DNZ, meaningful progress with the odd exception (e.g. Waikato) is very slow.
My best advice to James’s folks would be to shift to Hamilton or Australia.
Sianne wrote
Hi Natasha
My heart goes out to you and your son. Its bad enough being an adult with Type 1 but for an 18 month old it would be awful. Poor little guy.
I would definitely like to help. Have you set up a fund/bank account for raising funds? If so let me know and I will do all that I can.
I definitely think a pump will go a long way to helping you guys out.
A couple of days ago on the blog Nic wrote about some funding from WINZ. You may be able to get some funding from them if you have not already.
Hopefully if more people speak out we can get some government action but until then good luck
Sianne
Sianne wrote
http://www.times.co.nz/cms/news/2009/11/pump_to_help_adi.php
You could also approach companies for funding. see article
Jane wrote
I agree entirely that all Type 1’s should be provided with insulin pumps, but I also think maybe a new insulin regimen could be in order here. I can’t imagine any Dr advocating that a wee one should have 12 injections per day.
Jane wrote
Natasha has said that “12 injections are a mis-quote”. She had said that one pump site would save him 12 injections, not 12 injections per day.
Christine Murray wrote
As I understand it, the 12 shots a day is the reporter’s misinterpretation of one site change replacing 12 shots. Can I just clarify the statement in the article that suggests we might be better off here in Canterbury. We aren’t! There was a one-off contract to provide a small number of funded pumps for 0-25 years of age and provide one year’s consumables only. The contract hasn’t been renewed. As we didn’t have the staff resources to do paed pump starts, most pump recipients were in the upper age range. Almost all of our kids in Canterbury on pumps have been self funded. Diabetes Youth Canterbury raises the funds to provide some of the consumables for these families and we are now providing consumables for a couple of the young ones who received a CDHB funded pump as well. So the money is spread even thinner.
Its very easy to look at other areas and say they have it better. They don’t – they just have it different and that’s not necessarily better.
Chris
Kris wrote
We have finally been booked in for a pump start training in March for our 7 yr old daughter – yay! We are paying for a pump ourselves because we can’t wait any longer because of the ongoing health problems. She has such erratic blood sugars that her usual regime is about 5 injections a day (including at lunchtime which I have to go to school to do – she is still on syringes because we have to mix insulins & if we didn’t her injections would jump up to about 7 a day). Having met with a pump rep yesterday we are so looking forward to it…pity that NZ doesn’t fund these items but we are lucky that we can stretch to pay for it (and forget about getting a new car for quite a while!) In Auckland the funding really is not enough for the amount of kids who need help and there is a long waiting list…so buy paying for our pump our daughter gets one quicker & the funding is left for a family who really needs it. Maybe shifting to Australia isn’t such bad advice – trouble is we love living in NZ.
Sianne wrote
Hi Kris
Congratulations. Hope everything goes well with the pump start. What pump did you go with?
tash wrote
hi every one,
yes that was a pretty big mis quote!
My have recieved some help and my parents have also offered to help out so getting James on a pump asap!
He is starting next week. The relief is incredible!
Have chosen the animas, shame they are not bringing the ping here as the remote feature would be really helpful
Tash
alicia wrote
Tash,
I met you at the zoo on time. I have georgia who has just turned 3 (had type 1 since 18 months old). When do you start your pump start? Or have you done it. We start on 16th december and am a tad anxious about it.
How are you finding the animas as that is what we are going for? Is he tolerating the site and tubing?
whats the hardest part. ?
alicia