Monthly Meeting of Friends Forever- Peer Support Group for Children with Type 1 Diabetes

November 2024: Empowering Children for Diabetes Management

The monthly meeting of Friends Forever- the Peer Support Group for children with type 1 diabetes was conducted on November 23, 2024, as part of the World Diabetes Day celebrations. The purpose of the programme was to encourage children to take a more active role in managing their diabetes.

Group Division
The children who attended the session were divided into five groups:

1. Mighty Monitors
2. Sweet Strong Hearts
3. Beta Cell Warriors
4. Type 1 Titans
5. Insulin Warriors

Opening Session
Ms. Jaishree, Manager of the Department of N&D, welcomed the gathering and gave an overview of the day’s programme. She then introduced the first speaker, Dr. Lovelena, consultant diabetologist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sugar Savvy: Conquering Hypo and Hyperglycemia
Dr. Lovelena delivered a talk on “Sugar Savvy: Conquering Hypo and Hyperglycemia.” She introduced the concept of insulin and explained its function in the human body. She emphasized the importance of taking the prescribed doses of insulin daily without fail, discussed different types of insulin, and detailed the onset, peak, duration of action for each type.

• Hyperglycemia

Dr. Lovelena highlighted several factors affecting hyperglycemia, including:

• Insulin-food mismatch
• Glycemic index and glycemic load of food
• Puberty
• Menstrual cycle
• Infection
• Stress

She also discussed the Somogyi effect and the dawn phenomenon, underscoring the importance of checking blood glucose at 3 AM to identify the cause of elevated fasting blood glucose. She provided detailed insights on the insulin correction factor.

• Hypoglycemia

Later, the doctor addressed the symptoms, causes, and corrective measures for hypoglycemia. She also discussed how to adjust insulin to prevent hypoglycemia and the importance of addressing hypoglycemia unawareness.

Role Play: Mock Scenario with Emergency Preparedness
The children, divided into five teams of 8-10 members each, were given different scenarios. They had 15 minutes to discuss and present their solutions. The programme was conducted by Ms. Jaishree, Mrs. Bhuvaneswari and Ms. Aiswarya, with Dr. Amutha, Dr. Lovelena, and Dr. Jagdish serving as the judges for the mock scenario. After each group’s presentation, the judges pointed out any missing points to ensure the children understood all aspects of the scenarios.

Case scenarios

Cultural Events
Dr. R. M. Anjana, Managing Director of DMDSC, was invited to the hall with a standing ovation and congratulated for receiving the “Research Excellence Recognition” award in the best extramural paper category by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at the DHR – ICMR Health Research Excellence Summit in November 2024. She was presented with a bouquet of flowers by the children.

The cultural segment featured performances by children, including a soothing song by Ms. Sangamithra, a graceful dance performance by Ms.Varshini, and an inspirational talk about her journey with type 1 diabetes by Mrs. Punithavathi. Following the performances, prizes were distributed to the performers and a group picture was captured.

Sweat smart : Mastering T1D with exercise
Dr. Anjana gave an enlightening talk on the importance of physical activity and its role in controlling blood glucose levels. She discussed various components of exercise and their benefits, as well as the negative impact of sedentary behaviour. She also addressed how social media influences the current generation to adopt a sedentary lifestyle. Her talk was followed by a session on THANDAV- a dance intervention for health meant for children and adolescents, which was well-received by the audience. This was followed by a distribution of a token of love from Dr Amutha to each child.