Local girls named diabetes ambassadors

By Rob Vogt, Local Press Writer

A pair of Claresholm sisters who both have diabetes are getting the opportunity to share their story as youth ambassadors for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The honour came as a complete surprise to Kinsley MacPherson, 4, and Brooklyn MacPherson, 3, and their parents Nick and Kaitlin.

Usually, families apply to be ambassadors, but the MacPhersons didn’t.

One day, they went bowling. It was a foundation event in Lethbridge.

“They called us on stage,” Kaitlin said.

There, it was announced the girls were going to be youth ambassadors.

“We didn’t even know about it,” Kaitlin said about the honour. “We didn’t even apply.”

She thinks they were picked because, being sisters with diabetes, they have a new and unique story for people to hear.

“(The girls) don’t feel alone,” Kaitlin said. “They’ve grown up with it.”

It’s story people want to hear.

“People come to us a lot,” Kaitlin said.

It all started with Kinsley showing the signs – frequent urination, excessive thirst, mood swings.

Her parents took her to the doctor where some blood work was done.

They discovered her blood sugar level was 43.5. The average is between five and seven.

Consequently, she was diagnosed with Diabetic ketoacidosis.

With Brooklyn, the MacPhersons had that experience.

“We caught her so early,” Kaitlin said. “We just knew.”

A typical day for Kaitlin involves setting alarms at 12 a.m. and 3 a.m. to check the girls’ blood sugar level.

Then she will do a correction. If the level is high, she administers insulin. If it is low, she gives them juice. She wakes up again 20 minutes later to ensure the correction worked.

The rest of the day involves testing blood sugar levels, counting and weighing carbs, doing the math for the insulin to carb ratio, and giving insulin.

That is done six times a day – breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack.

“That’s my normal,” Kaitlin said. “I’m so adapted to it doesn’t bother me.”

The girls also use technology that makes them have to endure fewer needles.

They wear an Omnipod on their leg, which is an insulin pump to administer insulin. It does have to be changed every three days.

They also wear a Freestyle Libre on their arm, which is a glucose monitor that measures blood sugar levels. It has to be changed every 14 days.

After that initial poke, they don’t seem to notice they are there.

Part of the girls’ role as youth ambassadors is to attend Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation walks in Lethbridge on May 25 and Calgary on June 9.

The Lethbridge walk is five kilometres at Nicholas Sheran Park on the west side, while the Calgary event is at Stanley Park.

“They’re raising funds to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes,” Kaitlin said.

Ambassadors tell their story.

“Youth (and) parents speak about how they manage,” Kaitlin said. “What a cure would mean for our family.”

Anyone interested in supporting the MacPhersons can visit www.jdrf.ca/locations/alberta-north-west-territories/southern-alberta/ then scroll down to “Upcoming local events” and “May 25 – Lethbridge walk” where they are “MacPherson Girls #DiabeticDuo”.

Cheques can be made payable to “JDRF”.

Now until May 29 all donations will be matched by a corporate donour.

However, donations can be made anytime.

Anyone interested in more information, or participating in either Lethbridge or Calgary walk, can e-mail Kaitlin MacPherson at kkons@outlook.com.