Type 1 Diabetes Support for Parents on the Isle of Man
Essential reading for parents of children newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
A Letter to Parents at the Start of the Type 1 Diabetes Journey
I’m writing to you as a parent who has been where you are now.
Right now, your world probably feels like it’s been turned upside down. One moment you had a healthy child, and the next you’re learning a whole new language of blood sugars, insulin, carbohydrates, and hospital routines you never asked to understand.
If you’re feeling shocked, frightened, guilty, exhausted, or numb, please know this first and most important thing:
What you’re feeling is completely normal.
The first signs
In 2023, my wife and I were away in Croatia for a family wedding with our four-year-old son, Ffynlo. He was due to start school less than a month later. It was a beautiful time, full of family and celebration.
When we returned home and looked through our photos, something didn’t feel right. He looked thinner than usual.
When you see your children every day, small changes can be easy to miss. Over the following weeks we reassured ourselves it was just a growth spurt — until other signs appeared. Constant thirst. Bedwetting that didn’t improve despite limiting drinks before bedtime.
Almost as an afterthought, we visited the doctor.
That appointment marked the beginning of our Type 1 diabetes journey.
The reality of diagnosis
Until that moment, we believed we understood Type 1 diabetes. We assumed it was manageable — insulin, a few checks, and life continues as normal.
We quickly realised how wrong we were.
We were sent straight to the children’s ward. Five days later, we left hospital carrying a responsibility we were completely unprepared for.
Those five days were traumatic. The impact has stayed with all of us, including our son, who still fears blood tests because of his first hospital experience.
To the NHS, a diagnosis may be routine.
To us, it was life-changing.
The part nobody talks about
One day we had a carefree, energetic little boy. The next, we were injecting insulin multiple times a day simply to keep him alive.
For weeks, every injection came with screaming — not just fear of needles, but pleading for us to stop hurting him.
As parents, we sometimes had to hold our four-year-old still so treatment could happen. Few people understand how emotionally devastating that moment can be.
If your experience feels anything like this right now, please hear this clearly:
You are not failing.
You are not weak.
You are not doing anything wrong.
The guilt, grief, fear, and uncertainty you feel are completely normal.
The adaptation
Now, two years into this journey, I can promise you something important:
It will calm down.
Carbohydrate counting becomes routine. Insulin becomes second nature. Without realising it, you become an expert — because your child depends on you.
The care available on the Isle of Man is exceptional. Within time, technology such as glucose sensors and automated insulin pumps can transform daily life in ways previous generations could only hope for.
One day, you will sleep through the night again.
The new normal
In the early days, life with Type 1 diabetes feels like having a newborn again — relentless, unfamiliar, and overwhelming.
But just like those early parenting days, you adapt. Gradually, this becomes your new normal.
Diabetes is not only about insulin and carbohydrates. It involves schools, teachers, care plans, appointments, and constant communication.
Community support becomes invaluable. Connecting with other parents who truly understand makes an enormous difference.
The most important message
Your child is going to be okay.
It may feel impossible to believe right now, but both you and your child will adapt. Diabetes will become part of life, but it will not define your family.
There will be laughter again. Routine will return. Long stretches of normal life will come back.
What many people overlook in these early weeks is not the child’s wellbeing — but the parents’.
After our son’s diagnosis, we tried to stay strong, but the emotional impact affected our entire family. There was support for our child, yet little help for us as parents to process what had happened.
No space to grieve the life we thought we had.
No guidance for adjusting emotionally.
You should not have to face that alone.
Support
This is why support during this period matters — not because something is wrong with you, but because this experience is profoundly difficult.
Case em from lifecoach.im has been chosen personally because of his experience supporting people through shock, trauma, and overwhelming life transitions. His work focuses on helping parents regain emotional stability while caring for their families during challenging moments.
You do not need to be strong all the time.
You do not need all the answers.
You simply need support while you keep moving forward.
Please remember this:
It will get easier.
Your child will thrive.
And there are people around you who genuinely care about helping you through this journey.
Get Support
If you would like to speak with someone who understands this period, you can confidentially get in touch using the form below.