"I am a mum of the most wonderful two girls, Molly aged four and Annie who will be two on 1 May.
My partner, Colm, and I were blessed with them and this has not be made more evident than recently, when Annie was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on 6 March.
No parent is ever prepared for their child to be sick, never mind have a condition which will be with them for the rest of their life. However, from the minute she has been diagnosed she has coped with it all in her stride, and her sister has been a little tower of strength, supporting her all the way.
If there is one thing I do realise is that it takes family and a supportive healthcare base behind you to help you cope with this and I cannot express enough thanks and appreciation to those professionals who dealt with Annie and who continue to treat her.
They have reassured us constantly and made us more confident to have to deal with this, almost as if we knew no different. It has already become a way of life and not that different a way to before the diagnosis.
We have got very much involved in fundraising. In May we completed a Walk in the Park and raised £300 for Diabetes UK and we also had a Tea Party during a local festival which raised £500 for our local hospital for the Children's Ward and Diabetes UK.
My partner and I are starting a CHOICE programme in August and on completion of this we are hopeful it will mean that Annie will be starting on an Insulin pump therapy, which will be another experience for us too."
Words by Pauline
