The Buxton and Longnor group always host diabetic children, we are the only group to do so.   This year we hosted 14 children and these children are very poorly as their condition is unstable.   George, their consultant, always accompanies them and we could not think of having them without him to keep an expert eye on them,   The life expectancy of a Belarussian diabetic child is 23 years.

Stuart a local doctor specialising in diabetes is a member of our group and in addition we have the support of a specialist paediatric diabetes nurse.   About three weeks before the children arrive our English doctor and nurse talk to the host families concerning all things diabetic.

While they are here a programme of activities is organised, these include a canal boat trip, horse riding, nail painting, pottery, swimming, Alton Towers and others but in addition to all the fun and games they are taken to the doctor, dentist and optician.

Six children were found to be in need of glasses with two girls requiring specialised lenses, a total of £600 that our group had not budgeted for!   The optician, a young lady just starting out on her own donated almost half of the total and almost miraculously the remaining money seemed to come from all directions, a doctor who just happened to be at the opticians at the same time as some of the children donated £100.   Generous donations from host families, friends and relatives.   The money was found within the week!

Several children required quite extensive dental treatment.   Sasha had six extractions and eight fillings!   He had four abscesses under his back teeth.   A 12 years old girl was the worst case of gum disease that the dentist had ever seen, she had never owned or used a tooth brush.   All this treatment was donated by a private dentist.

All the children were also taken to their host's GPs in an endeavour to get prescriptions for insulin, blood testing strips and other essential diabetic necessities.   The outcome of this is very variable as the funding comes from individual practices.   Some are only able to prescribe emergency supplies while others may provide sufficient to last for up to six months and occasionally longer.

Several of the children put on a little weight during their visit but the most noticeable difference was the dramatic improvement in their colour and just their general demeanour.

Barbara Cox

Co-Ordinator Buxton and Longnor Group