"She's a kid first" is Carol Rosenking's
mantra for her 13-year-old daughter,
Taylor. A vibrant and active teenager,
Taylor has asserted control over diabetes –
an autoimmune disease that destroys the
cells of the pancreas that produce insulin
– with the help of Winthrop-University
Hospital's Pediatric Diabetes Program.
Diabetes has become one of the
most common and serious conditions in
children, and it affects the entire family.
At Winthrop, young people living with
diabetes and their families have a specialized
program to call their own. The
Winthrop Pediatric Diabetes Program is
an American Diabetes
Association nationally
recognized pediatric diabetes
and endocrine care
program. It serves over
1,000 children with diabetes
throughout the
tri-state area utilizing
the caring and expertise
of a team of specialists
to help young patients
achieve and maintain
optimal blood glucose
control and minimize or
prevent complications.
Thirteen-year-old Taylor Rosenking
is a patient at Winthrop's Pediatric
Diabetes Program.
"The Pediatric
Diabetes Program at
Winthrop is committed
to providing individualized quality and
caring treatment to children, adolescents
and young adults with diabetes. The
clinical and educational staff address the
needs not only of the patient, but of their
family and the community," said Siham
Accacha, MD, Chief of Winthrop's
Pediatric Diabetes Program.
Children living with diabetes face
many challenges. Every time they eat,
they have to count carbs to manage their
blood glucose levels, and they must continuously
monitor their blood glucose
levels and adjust their insulin therapy. As
these patients grow older, they are also at
increased risk for many serious health
conditions including blindness, neuro -
pathy, skin complications and infections,
heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.
"Life isn't carefree for these children.
The simplest things, like going on a field
trip, aren't simple for children with diabetes.
They have to make sure that they
have all of their equipment with them,
that they will be able to eat if they need
to, and, if they eat, that they will be able
to see nutrition information and count
carbs," explained Jean Corrigan, RN,
MA, Program Director
of Winthrop's Pediatric
Diabetes Program.
Care at Winthrop's
Pediatric Diabetes
Program is individualized
to suit each child's
or teen's lifestyle and to
empower the individual
and their family to
participate fully and
effectively in treatment
and lifestyle decisions.
"Our program
teaches children how to
overcome the challenges
they face on a daily
basis and incorporate
diabetes into their life. We follow our
patients through each developmental
stage in their life, providing education,
individualized care and support to the
entire family every step of the way," said
Ms. Corrigan.
The Center provides comprehensive
medical examinations of the child
every two months – from a complete
physical examination including vision
assessments to diabetes education and
individual counseling. The team consists
of pediatric endocrinologists;
certified diabetes educators who are all
certified insulin pump trainers and specialized
in treating diabetes in children,
teens and young adults; registered
nutritionists with specialized education
and expertise in diabetes nutrition; a
child life specialist, as well as an exercise
physiologist and a social worker.
Taylor and her family are appreciative
of the comprehensive care they
have received from Winthrop's Pediatric
Diabetes Program. When Taylor started
showing early signs of diabetes at the
age of four, her pediatrician immediately
sent her to Winthrop's Emergency
Department, where she was diagnosed
with type 1 diabetes and admitted to
the Hospital. While hospitalized, Taylor
and her family met Ms. Corrigan, who
gave them the skills and tools they
needed to manage diabetes at home.
"Discovering that my daughter had
diabetes was scary, but when I left the
Hospital with Taylor, I wasn't scared anymore,"
Mrs. Rosenking recalled. "Jean
was right by our side the entire time, and
for the first few months after Taylor was
discharged, we were in touch with her
every day."
In spite of the challenges she faced,
Taylor quickly learned how to integrate
diabetes into her life. By the time she
turned six, Taylor was able to recognize
when her blood sugar was dropping,
learned to read food labels, and was able
to count carbs. When she was eight,
Taylor began using an insulin pump – a
small device that continuously delivers
insulin to the body through a cannula
(a small tube) placed under the skin. By
eliminating insulin injections and giving
Taylor greater flexibility with her meal
plan, the pump allows Taylor to adjust
her insulin therapy to her life – in other
words, be a kid.
"Now I can sleep in on the weekends, because I don't have to eat on a
set schedule!" she said.
Two years later, Taylor added continuous
glucose monitoring, an adjunct
therapy to the pump that records interstitial
glucose levels 24 hours a day. This
therapy enables Taylor to monitor trends
in her blood sugar levels, giving her even
more control over her diabetes.
Among the many valuable services
available to patients and their families
through Winthrop's Pediatric Diabetes
Program are insulin pump training; education
of siblings, relatives and caregivers
so that they are prepared to care for the
child with diabetes; 24-hour on-call
assistance for support and information;
and involvement in research protocols to
promote the healthy lifestyle of people
with diabetes. What's more, the Program
runs various teen, child and toddler
support groups, as well as support
groups for parents and family members.
"Winthrop's support groups are an
invaluable resource to all newly diagnosed
patients. Parents can relate with
other parents who live with the same
challenges day in and out," said Mrs.
Rosenking.
In addition, to help schools provide
a safe environment for children with
diabetes, the Program's certified diabetes
educators visit their patients' schools,
when needed, to provide diabetes education
to teachers and staff members.
"The care is priceless," said Mrs.
Rosenking, who credits Winthrop's program
with ensuring that Taylor is "a kid
first" and has all of the experiences and
opportunities that a teenager should
have. The family relishes the vacations
they have taken together to places such
as California and Hawaii – not an easy
feat when managing diabetes. Taylor is
also involved in numerous after-school
activities including soccer, baseball, jazz
and tap.
Taylor has raised over $25,000 to
support the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation's mission of finding a cure for
diabetes and its complications by rallying
her family and friends to participate in
the Foundation's annual walks. She also
spends her summers at the Clara Barton
Day Camp, an outdoor camp geared
specifically toward insulin-dependent
children. This summer, as a counselor-intraining,
Taylor will serve as a role model
for young children with diabetes.
"I remember how I felt when I first
was diagnosed with diabetes and how
many challenges I faced. I want to show
kids that they are not alone, that they
can't let diabetes stop them from anything,"
said Taylor.
For more information about
Winthrop's Pediatric Diabetes Program,
call 1-866-WINTHROP.
|
Vol. 21, No. 1
Winter/Spring 2011
Back to Publications
|
