St. Anthony Community Hospital offers special program Oct. 24 for children with diabetes

WARWICK — The St. Anthony Community Hospital Center for Diabetes offers parents and their children an opportunity to get involved monthly with a support group that can help manage their child’s diabetes day-to-day for a full and active life. The next meeting of this Children’s Support Group is Monday evening, Oct. 24, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Greenbriar Room at Mount Alverno Center, 20 Grand St., Warwick. That evening everyone is invited to a special educational program for all children with type 1 diabetes and their families. Geared especially for young people, “In Whose Two Shoes,” will be presented by Patricia Wong and her daughter Katherine, a teenage youth with type 1 diabetes. The young lady and her mother are a trained youth/parent mentoring team for Sanofi-aventis U.S., a diversified health care company. “This is an opportunity for us to offer a program where kids with diabetes and their parents can talk to each other,” said Diabetes Educator Lourdes Braadt, RN. “Katherine and Patti are a real family living with type I diabetes and they have experienced many of the same thoughts and feelings as you. Come to this session to hear their story and discuss many situations that families living with a youth with type 1 diabetes might face.” 3 million Americans According to the American Diabetes Association, as many as three million Americans are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Previously known as juvenile diabetes, the disease is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin, a hormone that is needed to convert sugar (glucose), starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Living with diabetes is always a challenge for the child and his or her family and it can feel overwhelming at times. Warwick residents Brendan and Monica Daly’s son Luke, 7, for example needs insulin injections seven or eight times every day. “My days are very different from those of most mothers,” said Monica Daly. “And I look forward to getting together with other moms who are in the same boat as me. It’s helpful to share how we each handle this. I also want my son Luke to know that there are other children he can meet who are like him. He once asked me why he was the only one in his school who had this problem. That’s a tough question for a mother.” Essential information All parents and children with type 1 diabetes are urged to attend the Oct. 24 children’s support group meeting. Seating is limited and all those planning to attend are asked to reserve a place as soon as possible by calling 845-987-5168. Mount Alverno Center is approximately one-quarter mile past the hospital entrance and there is ample parking space. The Diabetes Center at St. Anthony Community Hospital also offers a series of classes for all patients who have been recently diagnosed with diabetes or those who demonstrate poorly controlled diets. During group or individual sessions, the clinical instructors offer initial assessment, emotional support and will seek to help patients achieve a better understanding of the disease. They will show their patients how to live a normal and productive life with diabetes and how to control the disease through diet and exercise.