NaBloPoMo Day 17...A MPP And How She Is Preventing Type 1 Diabetes

pre·ven·tion  (pr-vnshn)

n.

1. The act of preventing or impeding.

2. A hindrance; an obstacle.

 In the last few days the word PREVENTION is really getting on my nerves.  Actually I have nothing against the word prevention unless it is used in the same sentence as type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes CAN NOT be PREVENTED. I really don't know how I can make this any clearer!?!?

So what is the problem here, is this really that confusing?

On Monday a wonderful group of parents, family members and children met at Queen's Park to try and shed some light on the enormous need for a consistent policy in the Ontario school boards for students who have time type 1 diabetes.  Below is a piece that I have taken from the Legislative Assembly of Ontario official records for November 15th 2010.  This is a discussion about type 1 diabetes and students in Ontario schools that took place on that day between MPP's  

DIABETES

M^me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour la ministre de la Santé et des Soins de longue durée.

This morning I had the great pleasure to meet with children who have type 1 diabetes, their parents and some of their grandparents as well. The proper management of diabetes is essential for ensuring the health of these children, but today, children in Ontario face a patchwork of services. There are no consistent policies for how diabetes is dealt with in our schools. Is the minister ready to adopt a health support services policy similar to what exists in New Brunswick, which would define the standards and the procedures required for the provision of health support services to students living with type 1 diabetes and attending our schools?

I was not there however I will take this opportunity to add my two cents of course...it is my blog after all!!  (Right on, Mme France Gelinas)

  

Hon. Deborah Matthews: Kids who have been diagnosed with diabetes face real challenges, and I am so pleased that our government saw fit to actually fund insulin pumps for kids with diabetes. I have seen first-hand the difference that that innovation makes for our children. It means that they can participate like kids. It means that they can actually be kids when they are kids, and it’s making a real difference for kids right across this province today.

Is there more to do? Absolutely. I’m very, very encouraged by the progress that we’re making when it comes to treating diabetes and preventing diabetes, and engaging schools in that is part of the solution.

(Ahhh and there it is that very annoying, misleading phrase "preventing diabetes"  I wonder if anyone informed Hon. Deborah Matthews that she is speaking about type 1 diabetes and type 1 diabetes is NOT preventable!  Question? How are you engaging schools to take part in preventing type 1 diabetes when type 1 diabetes is not preventable? Also yes it is a very wonderful program that our government is running, funding insulin pumps for children with "diabetes" (type 1 diabetes)!  Wonderful... however with this great technology comes tighter control (which we ALL do love) but it takes us one step closer to a very fine line between wonderful blood sugar numbers and very dangerous blood sugar numbers.  This is why we need teachers, principals and all school staff to be educated and adopt a consistent policy in all schools to ensure these children's safety.  Oh and by the way Hon. Deborah Matthews  YOU DID NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION!!)     

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The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary. 

(not quite sure what this is about so NO COMMENT)

M^me France Gélinas: The pumps don’t mean too much to a four- or five-year-old who doesn’t know the difference between 3.5 and 35 blood sugar. Somebody has to be there to help them. Right now in Ontario schools, some schools do some work, some do nothing and some, frankly, put barriers to the health of those kids.

Over the last 12 years, diabetes rates have doubled in Ontario, with one in 10 Ontarians now living with the disease, and the numbers keep rising. Study after study tells us that the social determinants of health—poverty being number one—are the best indicators of diabetes, yet the minister has failed to invest in prevention like she fails to provide the kids with type 1 diabetes with the support they need to attend school safely. Why is the minister refusing to implement the well-known best practice and failing to provide Ontarians, including 7,000 children living with diabetes, with the tools they need—  

(WOW, Mme France Gelinas, you are on a roll and please continue calling a spade a spade)  

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Minister. 

(Again not sure what this is all about)

Hon. Deborah Matthews: I want you to know that I’m working closely with the Minister of Education to look at this issue, because we do know that kids dealing with diabetes are pretty special kids and they deserve special care. Our work on prevention, our work on getting kids moving in school, daily physical activity, other initiatives around healthy eating in the schools— 

(and there we go again with the ignorance and having not A SINGLE CLUE what you are talking about!!  Yes I do agree kids with diabetes are very special "kids" (I will use the word KIDS because you really seem to like it) HOWEVER once again type 1 diabetes is NOT PREVENTABLE so you are wasting yours and the Minister of Educations time trying to figure out the best way to prevent it.  Second of all getting my daughter moving with daily physical activity and healthy eating WILL DO NOTHING TO KEEP MY DAUGHTER SAFE AT SCHOOL...and that is what we are asking for...SAFETY IN SCHOOLS FOR CHILDREN WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES .  Frankly you need to STOP TALKING OUT OF YOUR ASS and GET EDUCATED ON THE ISSUE YOU ARE ADDRESSING!!)

 

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: After-school programs.
(Oh and thank you for that Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne After-school programs which again has nothing to do with this issue)

Hon. Deborah Matthews: —after-school activities: We are taking important steps to improve the health of kids to prevent diabetes. But those children who have been diagnosed with diabetes do need special care, and as I say, I’m working closely with the Minister of Education to ensure that schools are a healthy place for kids with diabetes. 

(Oh man, How I wish I was there, how I wish I had some say, how I wish diabetes education was so much easier then it is.  I mean, I know that Hon. Deborah Matthews is a smart lady, she has to be...BUT COME ON NOW!!! REALLY.  Can you really just repeat the same things over and over again, the same things that are NOT EVEN TRUE and people honestly believe that you know what you are talking about and making the BEST INFORMED DECISIONS FOR OUR CHILDREN??  How in the world can this even happen.  These people that are making decisions that have no idea of what they speak...it really is outrageous!!! ) and another thing, we are not asking for healthy schools, which is great...BUT WE NEED SAFE SCHOOL.  At least in my book safety FOR MY CHILDREN is #1.

And after that very quick and very misinformed discussion they moved on to another topic.  So I will be writing both Hon Deborah Matthews and Hon Leona Dombrowsky and my local MPP another letter, trying to lend a little more education and type 1 awareness.  

I extent an invitation to anyone that is in the letter writing, type 1 diabetes educating mood to take a little time and please write an email to any or all of the Ontario MPP's. HERE is a link to all email addresses.  So please lets take a little time to make a difference and share some T1 education and awareness to people who CLEARLY need it!  

THOUGHT OF THE DAY 16: REALLY?? REALLY, SERIOUSLY!! I'M I THE ONLY ONE WHO IS SEEING THIS!! 

HERE and HERE are two older letters that I have sent to this Ministry, and I'm sure they have received thousands more!  and still for some reason they think are kids need physical education, healthy eating and prevention in order to stay safe in school with type 1 diabetes...this is really just starting to sound OLD!!