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What do the U.S. Supreme Court and the Hinterbrand Lodge have in common? In August, they both had a first for juvenile type 1 diabetes.
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 8, is the first member of the nation’s highest court with the condition. At one of the highest mountains in Bavaria, the first European Diabetic Camp for children with type 1 diabetes took place at the Hinterbrand Lodge outside of Berchtesgaden, Germany.
The most commonly understood form of diabetes is type 2, which is associated with heredity, shots and pills, and can normally be controlled with exercise and diet. Type 1 diabetes; however, does not have a cure and those who have it must rely on insulin injections via shots or insulin pumps the rest of their lives.
A type 2 diabetes diagnosis is most common in adults. In the last decade, there has been an increase of type 1 diagnosis in teens and children, which is referred to as juvenile diabetes. In the United States, there are many informal organizations and support groups around military installations consisting of families with children suffering from juvenile diabetes. During these meetings, they participate in activities where parents exchange lessons learned, ideas and experiences, while the children share their stories on topics such as diabetic equipment and their difficulties in school. This informal support structure has not yet developed in Europe, where military communities are widely dispersed.
With nine teenage diabetics in her area, Ramstein High School nurse Maureen Husum decided to pull resources together and send invitations through nursing channels to various military communities in Europe to encourage support for a diabetic camp. She reserved the Hinterbrand Lodge and began soliciting donations and resources to hold the first diabetic camp for military families in Europe.
The camp is primarily for diabetic teenagers, their siblings and parents. During the day, the families conduct various activities from sightseeing to hiking trails. The teens and parents also exchanged techniques and how they compensated for blood sugar levels. In the evenings, families take turns preparing meals, discussing how they determine carbohydrate counts for the insulin and cleaning up. During the week, participants made new friends and shared new perspectives on how to live with and successfully manage type 1 diabetes.
Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation also sent representative to discuss more outdoor recreation options for next year’s camp, which is already being planned. For more information, contact Maureen Husum via e-mail at Maureen.husum@eu.dodea.edu.
(Story courtesy of William Roche, U.S. Army Europe)
