Over the past few years, the Paula Carr Diabetes Trust has helped children’s diabetes teams across Kent to prepare Year 6 children living with type 1 diabetes for their move to secondary school.

During the pandemic, teams held both virtual sessions, smaller, socially distanced gatherings outside and meet-ups during clinic appointments.

Activities during the events included scavenger hunts, Q&A sessions, games, hypo and carb-counting quizzes and videos on starting Year 7. Most importantly, the sessions enabled children to chat to people of their own age with type 1 diabetes.

Goody bags for all the children were provided by The Paula Carr Diabetes Trust, filled with pens, rulers, pencils, a water bottle and other items that they can use in their new school.

Children’s diabetes nurse Jade Clark, a children’s diabetes nurse at East Kent Hospitals, knows exactly how her young patients feel after being told they have diabetes – she was given exactly the same life-changing news aged just 10. As a needle-phobic child the news was especially devastating.

Follow this link to read Jade’s story about how she overcame her needle phobia and now helps others conquer their needle anxieties and phobia.