Helping hands: Diabetic daughters in need

ABU DHABI // A father of two diabetic daughters desperately needs help to buy medical equipment that will allow his children to lead a normal life.

“The girls used to have to inject themselves with insulin up to eight times a day,” said Y S, from Lebanon. “Their bodies were black and blue and they were so exhausted all the time. My eldest used to faint and we would rush her to the ER. Many times I thought I would lose one of them.”

A few years ago, a local charity offered the girls, 14 and 17, use of an insulin pump. The device changed the family’s life.

“It was the best thing that ever happened to the girls,” Y S said. “They tolerated it well and were able to lead a normal life.”

The pump delivers insulin 24 hours a day through a catheter under the skin. The device is so small that it can be attached to the waistband or pocket.

“It never showed and the girls used to put it under their clothes. At school no one noticed and they didn’t have to always go to the bathroom to inject themselves.”

Importantly, their visits to the ER became a thing of the past because they no longer had to worry about their insulin levels dropping while they slept.

“The device monitored their insulin levels and saved their lives,” Y S said.

However, the pump must be changed every two years and the family cannot afford to buy a new one, let alone two.

“Each pump costs Dh12,500. I can’t afford it and I can’t bear to see them start taking injections again.”

Y S has applied to several charities for help. “I haven’t got any assistance yet and time is running out. I have no one but God,” he said.

The girls also suffer from coeliac disease – an autoimmune condition where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine, causing abdominal pain and constant diarrhoea, among other things.

“They can eat only gluten-free food, which is expensive. I can’t afford it, but they need to eat.

“The insulin pump is the most important thing. I try my best with everything else but I can’t manage the cost of their medication and the pumps.”

Hisham Al Zahrani, manager of Zakat and Social Services at Dar Al Ber said Y S had many expenses to pay for with his monthly salary of Dh9,000.

“It is impossible for him to shoulder them on his own.