Dear Superintendant
Posted by my pump gear at 4/28/2008 9:37 AM and is filed under uncategorized 
April 28, 2008
Dear Superintendent,
It has come to my attention that our district will be losing one nurse after Nurse #3 retires at the end of this school year. There are no plans to replace her. Is that correct? I have also been informed that there will be possible cuts made to our Health Aide hours at each school site. Is that correct? I clearly understand that districts are having to make budget cuts in the coming months. However, this is certainly NOT the place to do it.
Our family has 3 students attending G. M. Elementary school. We have had at least one student there for the past six years. Our youngest is in kindergarten this year. She loves it! She has Type 1 Diabetes and is on an insulin pump. If you know anything about Type 1 Diabetes, you will understand how fearful we were for her school years to begin.
Each day is a struggle to balance her blood sugar levels. She comes up against this disease every minute of every hour of every day. It is "life or death" every day. Ask any parent of a Type 1 child--I am not exaggerating. If her levels are too high (hyperglycemia), she can become severely ill very quickly, as her body develops ketones (toxins) that shove her into a state of nausea and deleria and can place her in the hospital. These are the times when the wheel of diabetic complications begin turning--renal failure, eye problems, neuropathy. If her levels are too low (hypoglycemia), she is in danger of seizures, coma and death. The lows are the immediate danger. It can happen rapidly. Sometimes, she can feel her numbers dropping; sometimes it can happen without warning.
My daughter sees the nurse and/or health aide several times a day...sometimes, so do I! We can't put her diabetes on a schedule, as much as I'd like to. Sometimes, her numbers have no rhyme or reason. If she doesn't feel right, she needs to be checked immediately. To say the least, she needs the nurse or health aide on campus at all times. If the Health Aide's time is cut by one hour, can we cut my daughter's diabetes one hour? Of course not!
It has taken many months for our family to feel comfortable about leaving our daughter at school. We need to know that she is being cared for every second. I know she is not the only child in need of medical care throughout the day. I know that there are 11 students in the district with Type 1 diabetes, not to mention many others with serious conditions which need daily care at school. I also know there are a total of 10,000 + students in total enrollment in the district--all at the risk of needing medical attention, without warning.
Thank you so very much for understanding and deciding NOT to cut any personnel with regards to the life and health of these students.
Sincerely,
Type 1 Mom
Dear Superintendent,
It has come to my attention that our district will be losing one nurse after Nurse #3 retires at the end of this school year. There are no plans to replace her. Is that correct? I have also been informed that there will be possible cuts made to our Health Aide hours at each school site. Is that correct? I clearly understand that districts are having to make budget cuts in the coming months. However, this is certainly NOT the place to do it.
Our family has 3 students attending G. M. Elementary school. We have had at least one student there for the past six years. Our youngest is in kindergarten this year. She loves it! She has Type 1 Diabetes and is on an insulin pump. If you know anything about Type 1 Diabetes, you will understand how fearful we were for her school years to begin.
Each day is a struggle to balance her blood sugar levels. She comes up against this disease every minute of every hour of every day. It is "life or death" every day. Ask any parent of a Type 1 child--I am not exaggerating. If her levels are too high (hyperglycemia), she can become severely ill very quickly, as her body develops ketones (toxins) that shove her into a state of nausea and deleria and can place her in the hospital. These are the times when the wheel of diabetic complications begin turning--renal failure, eye problems, neuropathy. If her levels are too low (hypoglycemia), she is in danger of seizures, coma and death. The lows are the immediate danger. It can happen rapidly. Sometimes, she can feel her numbers dropping; sometimes it can happen without warning.
My daughter sees the nurse and/or health aide several times a day...sometimes, so do I! We can't put her diabetes on a schedule, as much as I'd like to. Sometimes, her numbers have no rhyme or reason. If she doesn't feel right, she needs to be checked immediately. To say the least, she needs the nurse or health aide on campus at all times. If the Health Aide's time is cut by one hour, can we cut my daughter's diabetes one hour? Of course not!
It has taken many months for our family to feel comfortable about leaving our daughter at school. We need to know that she is being cared for every second. I know she is not the only child in need of medical care throughout the day. I know that there are 11 students in the district with Type 1 diabetes, not to mention many others with serious conditions which need daily care at school. I also know there are a total of 10,000 + students in total enrollment in the district--all at the risk of needing medical attention, without warning.
Thank you so very much for understanding and deciding NOT to cut any personnel with regards to the life and health of these students.
Sincerely,
Type 1 Mom
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