My name is Danielle, I am 9 years old. I was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 3 years old. I found out just before Easter so that meant I could not have any eggs. I was angry and sad, I spent a lot of time in hospital, but my mammy and my grandma stayed with me, so I felt better. I found out I had to have injections twice a day I was scared, it hurt at first, and it gave me lumps on my arms and legs. I was having hyper's a lot, my blood was going way too high, it went up to 31.1 so my Dr. and Mary my diabetic nurse said I had to have 3 injections each day. Nearly every morning I was in a hypo, one was so bad that I did not wake up. My mammy went with me to hospital again, I did not know I had a hypo, I can just remember waking up in hospital, and having a bad head, and I could not understand why I was the only one in family who had diabetes. I was upset and I thought why me?

Mary is my diabetic nurse she helps me out a lot, My Dr. left, now I see a new one she is good. Some kids at school were sometimes horrible to me they called me a freak! My friends, my big sister and my step-sister stuck up for me and helped me out. My mammy said that the kids did not know what they were saying, and that I should feel sorry for them because I am so special, and they don't know what it feels like to be me.

I found it hard going on holiday with diabetes all of the thing I had to take, my injections 3 different ones, my blood testing kit, my hypo kit and everything else. I went to Flaming Land once for a week, it was great, but I had to remember to have my meals. I can remember having a hypo there, it was scary because I was not near my hospital, but I got through it.

I went on a diabetic party once Mary invited me, lots of other kids with diabetes were there, I realised I was not alone. I found out one boy had a pump, I did not know what it was, so my daddy asked what it was. A while later Mary told my mammy that I could have one if I wanted. Then I thought about it, and my mammy and Mary told me how it worked, and what happened. I was worried, but I went to a meeting and it made me feel better, I found out I could eat what I wanted. I got to be like a normal kid. Now I have a lot of freedom now I have one fitted. I had it fitted in summer last year, I don't need 3 injections anymore, I am feeling a lot better now, and I don't have many hypo's now. I can go out and play, skip meals and have sleep over's with my friend's.

My birthday is on Christmas day, now I can have lots of birthday cake and sweets. I only have 1 injection every 3 days in my tummy. My new pump gives me insulin every 24hrs. My new pump is Medtronic's, I would tell everyone with diabetes like me to get one because it has changed my life. If your feeling sad about having diabetes like I did remember, things can only get better, especially with the pump.