Kirsty McLellan
Kirsty McLellan, 25, from Hertfordshire was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was a child and she says that her experience has inspired her to work in healthcare.
Currently studying for a BSc degree in psychology, Kirsty plans to undertake a Masters degree in nursing in 2015.
The inspiration: poor diabetes care
“I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 5 years old. No one else in my family had the condition and it came as a real shock.
“I found that meeting other children with diabetes was a real help for me as I realised that there was more to life than my diabetes and that the condition was not a barrier to a normal life.
“However, during my adolescence I feel the care I received was inadequate and actually led to me rebel against the condition. I had always tested and injected properly and followed a very strict regime, never wanting to do anything but manage my diabetes as well as physically possible.
I began to ignore my diabetes and stopped testing and even caring.
“After being diagnosed with some complications however, to my teenage self, there seemed little point trying so hard to control and improve things with no results and no medical support.
“I began to ignore my diabetes and stopped testing and even caring. I realise now how lucky I am that I didn’t end up being admitted to A and E.
“As a result of such negative experiences, I plan to do a Masters in Nursing at the University of Hertfordshire, and I like to think that if I can help one young person with diabetes not to have to face their condition alone, and prove to them that they can lead a normal and happy life, then that will be satisfaction enough.”
