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"I think this legislation is wonderful and very much needed. It will help us all be more prepared and help our kids learn preparedness and compassion as well." —MS, Chicago "Pass the bill! District nurses and staff need to have continual training as diseases progress in treatment. Many have no idea about carbohydrate counting and insulin including school nurses. My son was the first diabetic in a small district. I spent a year and a half leaving work at lunchtime to make sure it was handled. Also, keep in mind people just need to be educated. Most just don't know. Keep fighting, and pass the bill!" —TG, Spring Grove "When my son was starting school I was fortunate enough to get a job there as an aide. One morning he approached a teacher in the hall and told her he wasn't feeling right. She told him to get into class and dismissed his concern. The teacher tells me what Billy said to her and proceeds to tell me she thinks he is probably making it up because there is a substitute in his room. All I could think of was to get to Billy. His blood sugar and it was only 42, which is dangerously low. I had raised hell, which caused me problems with my job. I had to pull my children out of the district and we had to move." —LS, Monee "My child just started kindergarten and although the school has been really receptive, I am finding that the staff does not really understand how her illness impacts her learning. She becomes "spacey" when her sugar is too high or low and cannot concentrate. I am already seeing a problem when she takes tests." —KL, Arlington Heights "All children need help and understanding especially the ones with special needs. Come on---WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE. Our children need us step up to the plate and do what's best for them."—SR, Palos Hills "My 5yr. old grandson was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 3. The first year was very difficult in and out of the hospital. This year he started kindergarten and his parents worry if the situation does arise at school that his level is really elevated if he will get the much needed care to get it back under control quickly. I think this is an excellent bill it would releive a lot stress from parents with children in school with Diabetes."—RR, Carol Stream "This legislation is long over due. My son has had type 1 diabetes for almost 6 years. I had to pull him out of one school because of their negligence. Even though he had a 504 plan, they never seemed to follow any of it. They wouldn't allow him to check his blood sugars in class. They would send him to the office by himself with blood sugar as low as 30. When he learned how to give himself his own shots he was supposed to be supervised. They assured me the principal or asst principal would oversee it (they didn't have a nurse). I went up to the school the first day, and there he was sitting by himself, 8 yrs old with no supervision, giving himself an insulin shot. When I asked where the principal was, nobody seemed to know. That weekend he had a seizure from low blood sugar at home. After that day, I never sent him back to that school. At the school he started this year, they leave the building for gym class. I asked that the gym teacher be trained to administer emergency glucogan. The school nurse doesn't think it was necessary and told me if I don't feel that my son is safe, he can stay at the school while the other kids go to gym class. If that's not discrimination!!! I'm still fighting it. Hopefully my son, or anyone's child who has type 1 diabetes, will not need emergency glucogan, but there should be trained adults available at all times to help a child in this life threatening situation! Schools and school nurse's need to be better educated on type 1 diabetes."—DM, Chicago "I have a 1st grader with Type 1 diabetes. My school does not have a full time nurse and 3 days a week myself or my care-giver needs to be available to give my son his insulin injections. I am lucky that I have someone who can be flexible in their schedule to accomodate this but many people are not so fortunate.Please pass this legislation to mandate schools be more responsible in ensuring the wellness of all students under their care!!!"—MB, Naperville |