Recipe for success – school cook takes the plunge for charity following daughter’s life-threatening diabetes diagnosis

Orkney’s Amy Budge was just like any other newly turned 18-year-old enjoying a night out with friends and the world at her feet.

Within days she was fighting for her life.

Thankfully medical staff were able to identify very quickly what the problem was – and incredibly it turned out that Amy was actually fighting several potentially life-threatening conditions – Diabetes Ketoacidosis, Sepsis and Glandular Fever.

Since then, Amy and her family – parents OIC employees Marlene and Irvine and siblings Liam, Mark, Erika and Vikki  - have been on a steep learning curve – for they were completely unaware that Amy, who works in the CDU (Central Decontamination Unit) at the Balfour Hospital, was a type 1 diabetic – a life changing condition.

Amy, 19, from Deerness is very pragmatic about the journey she continues on.

“In hospital everything happened so quickly, I didn’t really have time to process it and it was really only when I got home a few weeks late that I was able to try and comprehend what had happened. I try not to let it bother me or obsess over being type 1 diabetic – if anything it may have been a blessing in disguise as I had quite an unhealthy lifestyle before and I felt pretty rubbish – obviously a large part of that was the diabetes that we didn’t know about but also it was down to not eating as well as I should and too much fizzy juice. We try and stay positive and even joke about it with my friends.

“I am doing everything I can to make sure I never become that ill again and that means keeping on top of it. It has been a steep learning curve and there’s lots to take in, but I feel so much better in myself.

“I will not let it control me. There is no point living in fear.”

The family are keen to raise as much awareness as they can about diabetes and funding for Diabetes UK.

Mum Marlene, an assistant cook at St Andrews Primary School, decided to take the plunge with a 44-mile swimming challenge and she has spoken of her delight at reaching the milestone ahead of time.

With the support of the Pickaquoy Centre and a team of swimming buddies, Marlene completed the challenge several weeks before the fundraiser deadline of 22 October.

Marlene has already raised £1265 but she is keen to see the figure rise for a charity that is now very close to her heart.

She explained: “My reason for taking on this challenge is to raise awareness of this condition and raise as much funds as possible for this very worthy cause as I am one of the many people who knew very little about the condition up until Amy became seriously ill at the start of the Covid-19 lockdown with Diabetic Ketoacidosis, Sepsis and Glandular Fever to deal with all at once.

“It was a Friday in March, 2020, Amy was newly 18 and had gone for a night out. She seemed ok over the weekend but woke in the early hours of the Monday morning shivering and not feeling very well at all. She stayed off work and I kept in touch through texts and phone calls. She seemed very sleepy and normally when ill she’d be able to get up for drinks etc or have a shower but she felt very weak and lethargic all day on the Monday – just getting up took tremendous effort. I came home from work late morning on the Tuesday, and it was when she managed to drag herself out of bed that I noticed such a change in her and how much weight she’d lost in the few days she’d been poorly in bed.

“At that point I said to her I was worried she had Sepsis, but Amy was adamant she did not want to go to the doctor and would see how she was feeling the next day.”

Marlene trusted her instincts and with a parental stubbornness persuaded Amy that it was very important they seek medical help.

“I’m certain she wouldn’t have survived another night. As a parent that is not something you ever can imagine feeling and saying, but I knew something was seriously wrong.”

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious problem that can happen in people with diabetes if their body starts to run out of insulin. When this happens, harmful substances called ketones build up in the body, which can be life-threatening if it's not found and treated quickly.

Marlene continued: “DKA itself can be fatal if not treated never mind Sepsis on top of it. Amy has always been neat, but she was just over six stones when admitted to hospital where she spent two and a half weeks receiving IV antibiotics to treat the Sepsis. In hindsight there were telltale signs but only if you know what to look for, which we didn’t. Again, this is another reason I undertook this challenge.

“I remember speaking to a paramedic after all this happened and she said the minute she was called out to someone’s house she could tell instantly if they were type 1 diabetic with DKA by the ‘fruity’ smelling breath which resembled pear drop sweeties or nail polish. When I thought back, when I got home from work on the Tuesday I thought Amy was up painting her nails and feeling better, I soon discovered how wrong I was. She seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness.

“Thankfully she wasn’t in Accident and Emergency long before they knew what was wrong, she was given insulin. You could see a difference almost instantly. Our story thankfully had a happy ending - Amy has a lifelong condition which affects every aspect of her life but with proper care it is manageable, and she can lead a relatively normal life.

“Amy has had to adjust in ways such as carefully considered meals, injecting herself with insulin, wearing a monitor to help measure her blood/glucose levels and finger prick testing. It’s not just about what you put into your body as a diabetic, and each diabetic is different, but for Amy she must watch what she eats and drinks very carefully and monitor the blood/glucose levels closely but also, it’s important to keep a check on stress levels, activities – even a walk in the sunshine can affect her blood sugar levels. If low she needs something sugary but if high, she needs to take her insulin.

“Amy also has to be very careful when it comes to infections or bugs of any kind as this can also have potentially serious consequences as it throws everything off kilter. Diabetic foot care is also essential as diabetes can be dangerous to your feet—even a small cut can produce serious consequences. Diabetes may cause nerve damage that takes away the feeling in your feet and can reduce blood flow to the feet, making it harder to heal an injury or resist infection. Amy actually broke her foot recently and had to be extra careful thereafter as a result of her condition. These are just some of the things that you only learn about once you are closely involved with someone with diabetes.

“It has been extremely challenging given her age, but she copes admirably. She really is such a warrior and takes it all in her stride.”

This remains a journey that the family are on together and raising awareness is important to them.

Marlene continued: “I’m planning to continue swimming until the challenge end date which is 22nd October, I have the option to donate miles to others who are struggling with the challenge now which I’m going to do.

“Everyone has been so supportive from the Pickaquoy Centre and swimming pool manager, Calvin Reid, allowing me free swims to folk who have come along and buddied me at the pool, to everyone who has kept up with the support and encouragement and, of course, all who have generously donated. I completed the target in ten weeks and one day which is a couple of weeks earlier than anticipated. I am extremely chuffed to have reached that milestone without any hiccups along the way and especially delighted to have fulfilled the challenge for all who have sponsored me. I can’t say how much it’s appreciated as it’s a very worthy cause which is close to my heart. All charities are struggling at the moment due to Covid so this challenge will have been a huge boost towards hopefully finding a cure someday.”

There’s still time to donate on Marlene's fundraising page.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes, include:

• feeling very thirsty
• peeing more than usual, particularly at night
• feeling very tired
• losing weight without trying
• thrush that keeps coming back
• blurred vision
• cuts and grazes that are not healing
• fruity-smelling breath

Type 1 diabetes symptoms can come on quickly, particularly in children.

For further information about diabetes head to the Diabetes UK website.