Father's 255km walk to raise awareness that diabetes 'doesn’t just affect older or overweight' people
Josh Jenkinson (front) who was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes with his father Steven (right) and two of his father's friends Eamon Griffin and Gerard Quinn who are taking part in the "Walk for Josh". Photo: Sarah Slater
A father whose young son was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is walking from Dublin to Mayo to raise awareness about the condition in children.
Steven Jenkinson, from St Margaret’s in Dublin is completing the mammoth 255km walk with two friends Eamon Griffin and Gerard Quinn to urge parents of children to be more aware of the disease as it “doesn’t just affect older or overweight” individuals.
His eight-year-old son Josh was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last year when he began to lose weight, needed to use the bathroom a lot more and was continuously thirsty.
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when a person’s blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy.
It is caused by the body’s own immune system destroying the insulin-making cells (beta-cells) of the pancreas.
Ireland has a high incidence rate of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents with, on average, 285 new cases of type 1 diabetes in those under 15 years diagnosed annually. Our country is in the top 25% for diabetes incidence worldwide, according to Diabetes Ireland.
Up to five children and teenagers are diagnosed each week with Type 1 diabetes in Ireland.
Speaking during his walk which ends this weekend, Mr Jenkinson said: “Emear and I couldn’t understand how Josh was continuously hungry and thirsty all of a sudden but yet losing weight. We firstly thought he had Covid-19 but we didn’t even think it could be diabetes as we thought it was perhaps an older or overweight person’s issue.
“As his health deteriorated further, diabetes was then diagnosed. It was a shock to us all and has been stressful but we are thankful that this can be handled with medical help,” said the bespoke cabinet maker.
“It’s been tough on him and indeed all of us, including my wife Emear and our two younger children. He sees his friends have ice-creams and he wants one and it’s difficult for him knowing he can’t have one. Some days he tells us he doesn’t want to have diabetes anymore,” he explained.
“Josh was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on July 16th last year which came as a big shock to the whole family and it was a massive change to get used to. He is still doing everything an eight-year-old boy should be doing, he just has to be aware of the food intake and insulin levels which he is now an expert in, as well as doing his own bloods.
“The doctors in Temple Street Children’s University Hospital have been fantastic in helping Josh and all of us deal with his diagnosis and treatment. So I felt I wanted and needed to give back to them and to Diabetes Ireland and raise awareness about the condition in children and fundraise for them.
“I’m not going to deny the walk from, Finglas village, through Mullingar, Athlone, Mountbellew, Claremorris and Westport has been tough, there have been lots of blisters, very hot weather and sore calf muscles but the people we have met along the way have been so helpful and amazingly kind to us.
Mr Jenkinson added that he “won’t be in a hurry to walk as far again but every single kilometre of it will be worth it if we raise awareness of the condition in young people and achieve the €10,000 or more for Diabetes Ireland in our Walk for Josh fundraiser” added Mr Jenkinson.
Through research, Diabetes Ireland has found that one-in-six children diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes were admitted to hospital with Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), as a result of late diagnosis. Early diagnosis is critical. DKA is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires urgent medical attention.
A spokesperson for Diabetes Ireland said: “When a sick infant or toddler presents to their GP, Type I diabetes is generally not high on the list of possible diagnoses, given the relatively low incidence of the condition in this age group.
“If your child is unwell without a definite cause, ask your GP to check for Type 1 diabetes”.
Donations can be made to the Walk for Josh Facebook page and to Diabetes Ireland.
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