NEWS DESK In brief Frankston Indigenous Nursery reopens for 2015 Specialising in quality indigenous plants from the municipality, Frankston Indigenous Nursery is open the first Saturday of every month and every Wednesday 9am-1pm. All seeds and cuttings are collected locally by staff and all plants are propagated on the premises. Details: 9768 1513 Frankston Sports Uniform Library open for donations Impact Volunteering, the council and St Kilda Football Club have created the Frankston Sports Uniform Library to provide laundered secondhand sports uniforms to children playing community sport. Donations welcome, call 9783 5883 or email manager@impactvolunteering.org.au Victorian Seals live at PARC, 2.30pm, Saturday 18 April and noon, Sunday 19 April Men’s and women’s teams from Victoria’s National Water Polo League club are coming to Frankston for double headers against the Lions from Sydney. Entry is free. Details: victorianseals.com.au Action Sweetwater Creek is turning 40, 10am-2pm, Saturday 18 April The group has looked after one of Frankston’s favourite natural reserves for 40 years. They are celebrating with a community barbecue, children’s activities, nature walks and history posters at the Fleetwood Crescent playground entrance to the reserve in Frankston South.
Fun and support at diabetes camp MORNINGTON Peninsula children attending an autumn Diabetes Camp at Healesville Sanctuary last week learned how to manage their condition in a fun, safe and supportive environment, and how to enjoy independence through adventure. About 50 children aged eight and nine from all over Victoria attended, with many learning how to check their blood glucose levels to administer insulin for the first time. Local children at the camp included Lachlan Adair, 7, of Tyabb, Charlotte Jones, 9, of Carrum Downs, Isabella Macpherson, 8, of Skye, Tania Mason de la Llave, 9, of Hastings, Noah Mereszko, 9, of Point Leo, Thomas Nicholds, 8, of Langwarrin and Mackenzie Orr, 8, of Moorooduc. The campers and their families have interesting stories to share… Lachlan was a two-year-old toddler when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Parents Kylie and Brendan felt shattered at that time but were determined not to let diabetes stop him from doing whatever he wanted. Lachlan has been using an insulin pump for almost three years, which has given the family more flexibility to manage his diabetes. Kylie and Brendan have spent a great deal of time educating his school teachers on how to operate the pump – and how to treat low blood glucose levels. Next to meeting other kids with diabetes, his parents hope that Lachlan will become more independent and comfortable in managing his diabetes at camp. Isabella was diagnosed with type
Active campers: Isabella Macpherson, 8, of Skye, Noah Mereszko, 9, of Point Leo, Tommy Nicholds, 8, of Langwarrin and Lachlan Adair, 7, of Tyabb.
1 diabetes when she was two years old – about 13 months after her brother Connor. The diagnosis took the Macpherson family by surprise: they had expected it to target her other brother, Ayden, who is Connor’s identical twin. Despite her age, Isabella had learned a lot from Connor about living with diabetes – she knew all about testing blood glucose levels and having needles. The transition period, however, was not easy. “It broke our hearts that she would cry with every injection of insulin and we would have to hold her down,” mum Shannon said. Eight months after her diagnosis, Isabella started using an insulin pump which made family life easier. Now,
she is managing her diabetes herself by using the pump under supervision. Outside of school Isabella plays basketball and the piano. She’ll often be found doing handstands and cartwheels. Mackenzie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes a year ago. Her family was determined to approach the diagnosis with a positive attitude: “Life didn’t change too much; we didn’t want to let the diabetes control us,” mum Sandra said. “We instead decided we would manage it and Mackenzie taught us that. She was amazing in her acceptance of diabetes which made it easier for the family to get on with things.” The family has “good and
bad” days, but most of the time Mackenzie’s diabetes management is simply part of the daily routine. Next to making lots of new friends, Sandra hopes Mackenzie will learn at camp a little more about her diabetes management – and also try foods with which she is not familiar. Outside of school, Mackenzie loves splashing in the pool or playing outside on the family farm. More than 28,500 people in Victoria live with type 1 diabetes. Of these, at least 1700 are younger than 15 years. To help send a child to camp make a tax-deductible donation to Diabetes Australia – Victoria at diabetesvic.org. au Stephen Taylor
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