Sugar that took away freedom

Six year old Masha's most cherished dream is that her diabetes would go away and she would be able to eat sweets again. On October 3, 2023, her life was divided into "before" and "after". Then the girl suddenly felt unwell: she felt very thirsty, tired, and irritable.

Her mother asked a neighbor to measure her glucose level. The result was shocking – 26 mmol/l. Mariia was urgently taken to the hospital, where the glucose level rose to 28. She was immediately transferred to intensive care. This is how the family "got acquainted" with type 1 diabetes.

Now Masha's every day consists of constant measurements of sugar levels, insulin injections, and strict nutrition control. On average, she has to give 6 injections a day and prick her fingers up to fifteen times a day. For a little girl, daily pricks are stress and pain.

2 months after the diagnosis, the parents learned about the Freestyle libre 1 sensors. After trying them, the family felt a huge difference: the endless finger pricks and alarming night awakenings disappeared. Sugar jumps ceased to be critical, and Masha's fingers finally began to heal.

The sensor automatically measures glucose levels every 5 minutes and transmits data to a smartphone using the Bluetooth function. Sound alerts help to instantly respond to hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. In addition, constant glucose level monitoring helps reduce the risk of developing diabetes complications, such as heart, kidney, nervous system and vision diseases.

Mariia lives with her family in Oleksandriia, Kirovohrad region. She finished first grade. Masha loves to draw, sculpt from plasticine, and play with her younger sister Karina. This cheerful girl's day is filled with hours: insulin injections, counting bread units, and constant monitoring of blood glucose levels.

We are launching a fundraiser to provide Maria with Freestyle Libre 1 sensors for a year (24 devices). For a family where only the father works and the mother takes care of the children, this amount is unaffordable. Let's give Masha a carefree childhood and a life without pain!