 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Meet Jane
Eusebio and Amda’s four children were born healthy, and besides an occasional cold, were rarely sick. So when Jane developed a cold and a fever, and was not improving after two weeks, her parents began to worry. “We thought she might have a virus and that she should see a doctor,” says Eusebio.
At the doctor appointment, the physician examined Jane and ordered blood tests to discover the cause of Jane’s illness. The test results revealed that Jane might have diabetes. The physician referred the family to University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital. In 2009, U.S. News and World Report ranked the hospital as one of the top 30 hospitals in the nation for treating diabetes and endocrine disorders.
Brandon Nathan, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist at University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital, met with the family, and ordered tests to confirm whether Jane did have diabetes. The test results confirmed that Jane did have type 1 diabetes, a condition that occurs when the body does not produce insulin. “I was in shock and wanted to cry,” says Eusebio. “I couldn’t believe that this was happening to our little Jane.”
Eusebio says that the physicians and nurses at the hospital were excellent at explaining what care requirements Jane would need to live well with diabetes. “They made me and my family feel like everything would be OK,” he says. “The nurses showed us how to give Jane insulin injections and monitor her blood-sugar levels,” says Eusebio, “as well as what to do if her levels were not normal.” A few months later, Jane transitioned to an insulin pump. “I didn’t like having to get shots,” says Jane. “The pump is easier for me and I like decorating it with stickers,” she chuckles. Jane is doing well and says that her life has not changed much since her diagnosis of diabetes. “Everything is really the same as before,” she shares.
University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital researchers are currently part of a nationwide National Institutes of Health study to help prevent type 1 diabetes and halt the progression of the disease in newly diagnosed patients.
Links
 |
 |