March 25th, 2016 was the day that life as my family knew it, was officially changed forever. That day started off as any normal day would except for my youngest child had come down with the flu, so I had to take my son Christian to my mom’s house so I could take my youngest son to the hospital. It was a very long day for me, but Christian was having a blast at my moms house, he had enjoyed pizza and playing with his cousins all evening. I finally got my youngest son home and settled into bed, and that is when I got the phone call that would change our lives! It was my mom on the other end and she said that Christian was very sick, I thought it was just the flu with him as well, but then my mom said she checked his sugar because he was very thirsty and that the meter wouldn’t register. I met my mom with Christian at the ER and by the time I got there they were preparing him for transport to NCH in Columbus and informed me that his blood glugose was 722 and that he was in Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

The next few hours were such a blur, the doctors were telling me how seriously ill he was and that if we hadn’t gotten him there when we did, he would not have survived the night! I was so overwhelmed..terrified! 6 hours after arriving to NCH, I was informed that my child had Type 1 Diabetes, that it was incurable and that he would have to take insulin for the rest of his life. We received A LOT of education before being released… our way of life was changed forever! My son could no longer eat or drink without injecting insulin, he could no longer play without worrying about testing his sugar, he can no longer go places without taking a bag of supplies and enough snacks to make his blood sugar rise in the event that he would have a low! Christian went through depression for a while, but now he is doing very well. At 11 years old, he give himself insulin injections up to 8 times per day and pricks his fingers up to 10 times a day… all by himself! The doctors and nurses at NCH saved his life and offered us all the help we could possibly think of..There were angels among us that night, not only Gods Angels, but my mom, and the staff at NCH… the staff that continue to amaze me! My son…that tiny baby I held in my arms 11 years ago is my biggest inspiration and my hero!

I ask all parents to always be aware of the signs of type 1 diabetes, always go with your gut instinct, never be afraid to take your child to the ER if they are sick. If you are a parent of a newly diagnosed child, please know that you are in the best hands at NCH!

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• Name: Christian D.Christian Driscoll
• Condition(s): Diabetes, Type I
• Age at Treatment: 10 YEARS OLD
• Age Today: 12/21/200518 Years

March 25th, 2016 was the day that life as my family knew it, was officially changed forever. That day started off as any normal day would except for my youngest child had come down with the flu, so I had to take my son Christian to my mom’s house so I could take my youngest son to the hospital. It was a very long day for me, but Christian was having a blast at my moms house, he had enjoyed pizza and playing with his cousins all evening. I finally got my youngest son home and settled into bed, and that is when I got the phone call that would change our lives! It was my mom on the other end and she said that Christian was very sick, I thought it was just the flu with him as well, but then my mom said she checked his sugar because he was very thirsty and that the meter wouldn’t register. I met my mom with Christian at the ER and by the time I got there they were preparing him for transport to NCH in Columbus and informed me that his blood glugose was 722 and that he was in Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

The next few hours were such a blur, the doctors were telling me how seriously ill he was and that if we hadn’t gotten him there when we did, he would not have survived the night! I was so overwhelmed..terrified! 6 hours after arriving to NCH, I was informed that my child had Type 1 Diabetes, that it was incurable and that he would have to take insulin for the rest of his life. We received A LOT of education before being released… our way of life was changed forever! My son could no longer eat or drink without injecting insulin, he could no longer play without worrying about testing his sugar, he can no longer go places without taking a bag of supplies and enough snacks to make his blood sugar rise in the event that he would have a low! Christian went through depression for a while, but now he is doing very well. At 11 years old, he give himself insulin injections up to 8 times per day and pricks his fingers up to 10 times a day… all by himself! The doctors and nurses at NCH saved his life and offered us all the help we could possibly think of..There were angels among us that night, not only Gods Angels, but my mom, and the staff at NCH… the staff that continue to amaze me! My son…that tiny baby I held in my arms 11 years ago is my biggest inspiration and my hero!

I ask all parents to always be aware of the signs of type 1 diabetes, always go with your gut instinct, never be afraid to take your child to the ER if they are sick. If you are a parent of a newly diagnosed child, please know that you are in the best hands at NCH!