Despite her diabetes, Alisa plays sports. 2

From early childhood, Alisa was an active child. No sooner had she learned to walk than she was spending half the day with a ball at the stadium. She later started kindergarten, but like everyone else, the lockdown came. The forced isolation was difficult, but the family waited patiently for life to return to normal and made plans – until the full-scale war broke out. In the first days, Alisa and her parents barely left the house, as the constant explosions frightened the child and kept them confined to the corridor, where there were no windows.

By the middle of the year they had begun to adjust to the war and joined a football club. There Alisa made many new friends – something so lacking in the reality they were living through. She finished first grade online. It was difficult due to the power outages, especially in winter, when darkness fell early and there wasn't a single streetlight around. After the school year ended, Alisa and her parents began spending more time outdoors – by the river, in the forest. But one day a rocket flew directly overhead with a terrifying whistle. Alisa was deeply frightened. Doctors would later say that this trauma may have been the trigger for the development of her illness.

In second grade, Alisa had already achieved results in football and was travelling with her team to tournaments. But the girl began drinking large amounts of water, became less active, her energy was clearly dropping, and almost nothing brought her joy. Her parents went to the clinic and had her blood sugar checked – the levels were very high. They checked again; there was no mistake. An ambulance, an IV drip, hospital. The child was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Alisa's journey with diabetes began two years ago. It is now an entirely different life – every day her parents learn something new about the disease, find ways to manage it, and look for ways to minimize all the negatives. They strive to give Alisa a full life and do everything they can so that her childhood passes as it would for a healthy child. The greatest help in this has been continuous glucose monitoring – a sensor that measures blood sugar around the clock without constant finger pricks. With it, Alisa continues to play football and take part in championships. Unfortunately, the state does not cover even 10% of what people with diabetes need, and it is financially very difficult for her parents to provide Alisa with continuous monitoring on their own.

The family hopes that the road ahead with diabetes will be as manageable as possible, and that in time they will be able to transition to an insulin pump. The child dreams that one day doctors will find a cure for diabetes, so that she can return to ordinary life.

And while a cure for diabetes is still being sought, it is we who can be the support that changes this child's life today. Every contribution is the chance to purchase a sensor – a step toward stable blood sugar, less pain from daily finger pricks, and more smiles free from fear.