Written by: Lourieke Haller
Article source: JOY! Magazine
National Diabetes Month is here, and Jean Visser is proof that someone with type 1 diabetes can live a full life.
Doctors are still not 100% sure what causes this type of diabetes, but it definitely has nothing to do with eating too many sweets! Factors such as genetics and viral infections have been linked to this chronic autoimmune disease. Researchers have also found that a serious traumatic event in the first 14 years of a child’s life can increase the risk of type 1 diabetes. This is likely what happened to Jean.
A big shock
He was four years old when his mother was in a car accident. The toddler developed type 1 diabetes soon after. His parents realised that something was wrong when he suddenly started drinking a lot of water and urinating constantly. He was hospitalised for eleven days. It was a traumatic time for all, which included finger pricking to monitor his blood sugar levels (up to 18 times a day), as well as learning to take injections to bring his sugar levels down.
In the hospital just after he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
Empowered by his parents
Jean’s parents decided early on that his life was not going come to a standstill just because he has a life-threatening disease. They purposefully forced him to inject himself from as young as 6 years old. “If you do not empower your child, he will not be able to live freely,” explains his mother, Lizel. Parents are often afraid when their child develops diabetes. “What if…” haunts them, but the sooner you help your child to be independent, the better.
Jean’s parents, Lizel and Pieter
Lizel’s advice for parents:
• Remember it is your child. The doctor learns about diabetes from a book but is not raising a child with diabetes. You are the parent; you know your child.
• Do not wrap your child in cotton wool. They can fall, they can bleed, they can do anything they put their mind to.
• A positive attitude is extremely important. If you are positive, your child will learn to cope. If you are negative, he may be sick, depressed, or rebellious.
Heinrich Gabler (who is part of their family), Jean (15), Niena (13), and Stefan (10)
Active and positive
Jean, now 15 years old, is a chap who never gives up, and though he sometimes feels rather ill, he loves sports. He played rugby for Western Province, won gold at SA Tug-of-War, participates in athletics, plays golf, and is currently an enthusiastic MX rider (motocross). He does everything with gusto and is always positive. His advice for other diabetics is to, “Just try out a sport, at least once, and see if you like it. You will discover it is not so bad. Do it! Don’t just sit on the couch!”
Before a match he is full of adrenaline, afterward it drops; then he must inject himself or eat something sweet
Jesus is with him
“I get up every night at midnight and again at 3am to monitor his sugar levels,” says Lizel. “If his sugar drops too low at night, he can slip into a coma.” But Jean believes that Jesus is with him every day. When he was in the school boarding house for a year, he had to test his sugar levels himself at night. “My alarm clock was always set for a minute before 12, Jean would measure his sugar levels and the sensor on his arm sent the information to my phone. I then knew he was awake and had tested himself. One night I could see that he did not test himself. He did not let me know at 3am either. I wondered if I should notify the teacher on duty, but decided against it. At 6 the next morning Jean sent his graph for the night. From 12-6 it showed that he had low blood sugar, but he felt well. He said: ‘Mom, if we do not know after today that Jesus is standing by my bed, we will never know.’”
Gillian Fraser (JOY’s Production Manager) sitting with Jean, both of whom have type 1 diabetes
Ups and downs
Of course, Jean also has his ups and downs! He looks like any normal teenager, but always needs to be prepared. “For example, if we do a 50 km enduro ride in the mountains, I must always have my backpack with emergency supplies with me. I just want to be carefree like the other guys and not have to worry about anything,” Jean admits.
Support from friends and school
Though Jean can manage on his own, he appreciates the support and help that his friends and team members give him. At Dirkie Uys High School in Moorreesburg, the teachers are well informed and understand when he needs to snack or drink something. When he plays rugby and his sugar levels drop too low, they pause the game so that he can leave the pitch and have something to eat or drink. As soon as he has recovered, they allow him to take his place on the pitch again.
His motorcycle number is 247 because he is so active and on the go 24/7. At home he goes cycling or jumps on the family trampoline. There is no sitting still!
Your child does not stop living
“Jesus plays a big role in our family’s life, and we firmly believe that Jean can be healed!” Lizel says. “But in the meantime, Jean is proof that diabetes does not have to hold you back! He can live a full life with diabetes!”
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Date published: 31/10/2022
LIZEL VISSER can be contacted at joudelvisser@gmail.com
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