Page 32 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2019

PEOPLE freedom
ENDING DISCRIMINATION
young person just diagnosed with diabetes can feel as though, one
by one, doors are closing. On freedom. On independence. On chocolate ice cream.
story by John Webb photos courtesy of Siobhan Bailey
Then a window opens and makes all the difference. Take Georgia Bailey, 12, of Gulfport who was admitted, no strings attached, to Our Lady Academy in Bay St. Louis. This is huge news for Georgia, whose diagnosis posed concerns
of how to monitor and treat her diabetes during school hours.
Rather than having to visit the nurse, Our Lady Academy will allow Georgia to maintain her own glucose levels. “They’re allowing her to
be a regular kid,” said her mother, Siobhan Bailey. “Can you imagine how much instructional time she would lose having to go down the hall and find a staff member every time she needed to check and treat her glucose?”
On behalf of all kids living with diabetes, Georgia and Siobhan Bailey, co-chairs of Mississippi’s Walk for Diabetes-Gulf Coast,
say they hope to end such discrimination. The walk will take place on Saturday, September 14, in Jones Park with registration at 9 a.m.
Technological advances have
gone a long way toward freeing up children with type 1 diabetes to live normal, carefree lives: Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) make blood-sugar checks as easy as
reading a text, and pumps and pens have made insulin delivery quick and virtually painless. There’s even room for chocolate ice cream.
But such technology is undermined when kids are not allowed to
freely access it, said Irena McClain, associate director of the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi, sponsor of the walk. She said the foundation routinely lets public and private schools know that students may have insulin pumps and CGMs connected to their cell phones.
“That technology results in tighter control and fewer complications like blindness and kidney failure,” McClain said.
“If I had to prick my fingers all
day long, some people might feel uncomfortable,” said Georgia,
an active swimmer, archer and veterinary volunteer. “It’s important to keep my insulin and supplies with me all the time because it keeps me alive.”
“She’s going through enough as it is,” said Marilyn Pigott, principal of Our Lady Academy. “I don’t want her to feel different from everyone else, and it’s good for the other students to see that people do have struggles in life, because they may one day face something themselves.”
Walk for Diabetes-Gulf Coast
601.957.7878 www.msdiabetes.org
32 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • September 2019
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Georgia Bailey
She enjoys staying active and is a veterinary volunteer.