Sensors that save a teenager's life

For all families with seriously ill children, life is divided into “before” and “after”. For Tymofiy's family, the “after” life began on January 4, 2024. The boy was then 12 years old. Tymofiy's family are IDPs from Donetsk region who were forced to leave their home forever. Tymofiy lost not only his home, but also his friends, family and his entire environment. The second blow to the child was that his father went missing in the war. 

Of course, this was a very stressful experience for the teenager. His mother tried to support Tymofiy as best she could, and he even made new friends. But the covid he suffered in the fall gave complications: Tymofiy became lethargic, began to lose weight very rapidly, and was constantly thirsty. As Tymofiy's condition deteriorated, he underwent a blood test. When the results came back, his mother was already waiting for an ambulance, because the child was already lying exhausted. Tymofiy developed diabetic ketoacidosis, an acute complication of diabetes mellitus, and only a miracle saved him from coma.

For his mother, it was a shock and rejection, but almost immediately she realized that it was up to her to decide how her child would live. Then there was a long way to go to study diabetic literature, select food, and get used to a new way of life. For some time, compensation was extremely difficult because the prescribed insulin did not suit the child. The situation improved in July, when Tymofiy was fitted with an insulin pump. The boy's pump is not automatic, and he has to control it himself. Without constant blood monitoring with sensors, it is very difficult for him to know when to inject insulin.

Unfortunately, the pump requires the use of consumables. It is very difficult for his mother to buy all the consumables for the pump. And the guy desperately needs blood glucose sensors, which have repeatedly saved his life with frequent hypoglycemia.