In the Trenches: Diabetes Dad

There has been so much happening to spread awareness about the missed Diagnosis of type one diabetes, but it is not fast enough, is it?

I have been fortunate to work with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) recently, including Donna, their President, and Sarah, their Certified Diabetes Educator. They have embraced us working together to make a difference in this battle. I was even given the opportunity to be a keynote speaker at their annual National Conference to share the importance of what so many of us are trying to do to their School Nurse attendees.

Recently NASN included in their weekly update, in the “Nurses Tool Box” section (sent out to 33,000 members) a letter. A letter that nurses should send home with any child coming into their office with flu/virus like symptoms. We can all help this effort by printing a few copies out and giving them to the school nurse in schools in our area.

We are aware that the letter states ‘diabetes’ without type one specific; this is a legalism and to state that the letter is an NASN sanctioned letter, so this cannot be changed. However, the impact of what needs to be achieved will not matter one way or the other. This letter can make a difference.

Present copies of this letter to your school nurse and ask them if they saw this National Association of School Nurse’s sanctioned letter to be sent home with any child with flu/virus like symptoms. Ask them to keep a few copies in their desk and to use them. Again, make copies and hand them to any school in your area–this impact can be real and it can be immediate!

Here is a copy of the letter:
NASN Document School Nurse Letter

If we all did this in the upcoming week, we would immediately reach hundreds of thousands of kids. Imagine saving just one family the heartache of what so many know all too well. Imagine saving one life.

I am a diabetes dad.