Page 17 - annual review

THE DAWES FAMILY
Anastacia (Ana) was diagnosed with

type 1 diabetes at just 10 months in 2006.

Our training consisted of a crash type 1 kids. For parents, it was the first “We have gone
course week in hospital and our closest time we could sit and talk about our
support person was a social worker children’s diagnoses with someone from being alone,
who we saw only a handful of times. who actually understands type 1. isolated and lost,
We were mostly alone. You can’t put a price on that kind
of connection; you can’t find it to being part
Fast forward to last year when our anywhere else.
son Alexander (Alex) was diagnosed of a supportive,
with type 1 at the age of 11 years, and Ana attended her first Family Centre compassionate
it’s a whole new world. Everyone in Teen Camp this year and her
the Family Centre’s Online Parents’ confidence has grown so much as a and fierce tribe
Community knew exactly what result. She brought back skills which
we were going through and their were new to us and made some of type 1 warriors.”
emotional support carried us through. gorgeous friends too. Ana hangs out
A diagnosis is never easy but having with her tribe at Family Centre events,
support and people to lean on makes is constantly talking with them on the
a world of difference. phone, and catching up with them at
weekends.
My husband, Daryl, also lives with type
1 and he joined the Family Centre’s The Family Centre and its team of
new Adults’ Online Community when dedicated staff have made such a huge
it launched last year. Having support difference, we have gone from being
and inspiration for adults is equally alone, isolated and lost, to being part
important. of a supportive, compassionate and
fierce tribe of type 1 warriors. We are
We’ve been to the Family Centre’s so grateful for everything the Family
teen cooking classes, movie nights, Centre is and has done for us and
Christmas and mid-year parties and every other Western Australian family
the Family Camp at Camp Quaranup living with type 1.
in Albany. Family Camp was wonderful
for Alex and Ana as they met other

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