Eleven local primary schools will be participating in an unusual Diabetes Jersey initiative which takes place on Friday 19 October when pupils will be invited not to dress down but to dress up – in their onesies or pyjamas to promote ‘Wear One for Type 1’ and raise funds for the charity.
Type 1 diabetes particularly affects young people (sometimes as young as two or three years old) when the pancreas stops producing insulin. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that allows the body to use sugar (glucose) from carbohydrates in food eaten for energy or to store glucose for future use. Insulin keeps the blood sugar level from getting too high or too low. Anyone with Type 1 has to inject insulin several times a day.
Currently there are circa 400 people in Jersey with Type 1 diabetes, around ten per cent of them still at school. Why Type 1 should strike (or Type 2 which affects many more people in Jersey – circa 4,000) is not yet fully understood and currently there is no cure for the condition although a combination of modern technology and a ready supply of insulin ensures that all with the condition can still live a very full, long and fulfilling life.
Diabetes Jersey was founded in 2004 and is dedicated to creating awareness of diabetes and the factors that can lead to it being acquired and improving and enhancing the lives of all those with the condition. The charity currently spends circa £100,000 each year on seeking to achieve these objectives.
Bill O’Brien, Diabetes Jersey’s chairman says: “This is a magnificent initiative which will not only raise funds for the charity but also raise the profile of the condition, particularly to the young people who are the classmates of any pupil with the condition.”
Every day in Jersey one more person is diagnosed with diabetes.