Archives for January 2014

Supporting people in Kent & Medway living with diabetes

The Paula Carr Diabetes Trust is an independent charitable trust supporting people in Kent & Medway living with diabetes.

The Trust was started in 1989 in memory of Paula Carr, who was born in Ashford on 5 June 1975. Paula was diagnosed with diabetes in 1984 at the age of nine and learned how to cope with insulin injections and to balance her blood sugar levels.

Tragically though, Paula died following a hypoglycaemic episode as she slept on 18 April 1988, two months short of her thirteenth birthday.

Paula’s family have helped and supported the charity since it was set up.

The first project the Trust funded was to build and equip the Paula Carr Diabetes Care Centre in Ashford, which was opened by HRH, the Princess of Wales on 21 October 1992.

Since then, the charity has provided financial support to build and equip a further two Paula Carr Diabetes Centres in Maidstone and Margate.

All three centres today provide a base from which diabetes specialists provide integrated care, treatment, screening and health education for people living with diabetes in their areas.

The Ashford centre is also home to the specialist retinal eye screening service available to all NHS diabetes patients in Kent and Medway which is operated by emis care.