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.
salnuwais@thenational.ae
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds