Diabetic Ben, eight, takes campaign to Parliament
A BOY with diabetes visited Parliament to ask for better support for diabetic pupils in schools.
Ben Woodward, eight, of Churchill Avenue, Bourne, has suffered from type one diabetes for four years and has insulin injections four times a day.
There are 20,000 children under the age of 15 in the UK with diabetes, which if not properly managed can lead to problems such as heart disease or kidney failure.
Ben is one of the lucky youngsters to receive support from his school but others are not allowed on school trips or to eat a sugary snack in class.
He attends The Bythams School in Little Bytham, where staff ensure he has access to a snack in class and provide help with his lunchtime injections.
On Tuesday Ben and mum Caroline went to the Houses of Parliament with 30 other Diabetics UK members to lobby for change.
They say the quality of support for children varies and they want the Government to make sure it is the same for everyone in all schools.
The delegation sat in on a question and answer session with the parliamentary under secretary for children, young people and families, Baroness Delyth Morgan.
Caroline, a school visitor for the Royal National Insti-tute for the Blind, was shocked by some stories, including one of a mother having to give up work to go into school to give her child insulin injections.
She said: "We are trying to integrate blind and partially sighted people for example into mainstream schools but someone with a condition like this does not get the support.
"It made me realise how lucky we actually are in the support Ben has at school."
Ben is on a carbohydrate diet which with the injections, mirrors the pancreas' work in secreting insulin during the day. He has injections after every meal and at 10pm.
The condition doesn't stop him playing football at school and with Bourne Town Juniors.
He said: "I love to be part of everything at school and it makes me sad to think that, at the moment, if I ever moved to another school, I might not be allowed to do the same things as my friends. I wouldn't want that."
Caroline and Ben will meet Bourne MP Quentin Davies, who could not make Tuesday's session, on December 13.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Stamford
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
