Alan has dug out his running shoes to take part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon. All in support of his daughter Carly who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in August 2018.
Alan's StoryÂ
Working for Tesco, I had already raised lots of money for Diabetes UK as part of their national partnership. However, this has now become extra special to me as my daughter Carly was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in August 2018. We now see it every day and how it impacts not only Carly, but the family, including her younger brother Zac. Â
"The diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes came as a complete surprise"
When Carly was diagnosed she was very mature and knew from the start she wanted to deal with this the best way possible by listening to the nurses who cared for her the first few days. Some of the first words she said to my wife and I was that ‘ It will be ok guys I’ve got Diabetes, Diabetes hasn’t got me!’ It still makes me emotional now. Carly had to go back to school after the summer holidays a different girl, but this hasn’t changed her attitude towards learning and school life, it's just more of an interference.
Â
"Carly meets every challenge head on and is very adult about it, she just likes to get on and deal with what’s ahead maturely.
With the money I raise, I’d like to see the development of new methods and medicines that take away the need for daily numerous injections. And also a growing support network for families, as it come as a shock that we knew very little, and the increased stress levels of not knowing can have huge impacts on families. Â
If you would like to take on a running challenge with Team Diabetes UK, hit the link below.
