This week brings us across the world to Accra, Ghana to a beautiful and caring mother named Meg Benson. She is the mother of Kukie, who is currently living in Virginia (USA) with her grandma. When you see Kukie, you just feel her vibrant, thriving soul! Diabetes isn’t holding this girl back and I love that!
Kukie was diagnosed in Accra, Ghana where T1D is rarely diagnosed and is pretty much inadequately resourced. Connecting with Type 1 Diabetes blogs online has taught this family a lot. If you don’t know- Accra is the capital of Ghana, holds the countries largest city, and it lies on the West African coast on the Atlantic Ocean. In an article published in, “Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice” by A.G.B Amoah, S.K. Owusu, & S. Adjei the researchers stated that in greater Accra the prevalence of diabetes is unfortunately”unreliable.” Although factual, sharing stories and working with federations / organizations that are spread throughout the world can help bring information to communities everywhere. I hope you enjoy learning from this family as much as I did…
Description of self and Kukie
Meg: I’m a banker, photographer, event planner and people’s enthusiast. I have a food blog on Instagram ,@theroaming_ambassador where I review food and places. I’m a Christian and worship with Agape New Testament church in Accra, Ghana.
Seven year old Kukie enjoys hanging out with her cousins and friends. She’s a puzzle freak, loves swimming and plays the piano. Kukie has the memory of an elephant! Nothing goes past her.
Diagnosis
Kukie was diagnosed with type1 Diabetes two weeks after her seventh birthday on the 8th of July, 2020.
Kukie lost a lot of weight in a short spate of time, started peeing very often and was thirsty all the time! She got an infection that refused to resolve after several bouts of medication. Her Pediatrician suspected Type 1 Diabetes, run a couple of tests and she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
Initial Thoughts
I was shocked, confused and hurting. Why us?
How was diabetes explained to you…
We watched a couple of YouTube videos and the doctor had a chat with us. We spent some days in the hospital to help stabilize her raging blood sugars; this influenced her learning curve as well.
Diabetic Tips!
We have Kukie drink lots of water and stay active. She wears a Fitbit to track daily activity. We also use a motivational water bottle which tracks her daily water intake. Drinking lots of water and exercising helps to keep her blood sugars within range.
What does thrive mean to you…
Thrive means bloom in the midst of adversity!!!! Never let down.
How do you thrive?
Our faith in God gives us renewed confidence and we trust God daily for grace. We choose not to complain but become good at managing T1D. We also work closely with her medical team.
I wish I knew…
That with the right insulin adjustment vis a vis carb counts, she can live a pretty regular life.
Words of Encouragement
Keep hope alive, don’t give in to pity and don’t allow it around you either. Shut down pity parties! Choose to live a full life with T1D! Let’s look out for each other and share our stories, tips and tricks. Connecting with other Type 1 Diabetes blogs taught us sooo much!
Best regards ♡
Meg Benson
Find this family on IG and follow their journey!
