Big jar with big hopes: Beau Blades was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was four. Now 8, he came to The Telegraph with a jelly bean jar to raise awareness about his condition. Photos: Faith Macale
Photo by
Faith Macale
Beau Blades was only four years old when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
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Now, at eight years old, he has learnt to live with insulin shots and blood sugar monitors.
Beau’s mother Amy tried to keep her composure when the doctor confirmed his diagnosis.
“It was a shock to the system,” Ms Blades said.
“I am in the doctor’s office and I’m going ‘what? What is that?’.”
Soon after his diagnosis, Beau underwent some tests.
“They did his blood sugars and they were 28.6,” Ms Blades said.
“A normal blood sugar should be between four and seven.”
Support system: Beau Blades with his little sister Adaline. Adaline is still under watch for signs of diabetes because the condition is genetic.
Photo by
Faith Macale
Because of this, Beau has struggled to make friends over the years.
“No-one’s ever invited me to any birthday parties,” Beau said.
Ms Blades said it got tricky because there were misconceptions about type 1 diabetics, specifically that they couldn’t eat anything containing sugar.
“He actually can have the sugar, you just gotta combat it,” she said.
With World Diabetes Day approaching on November 14, Beau has decided to raise awareness for his condition.
He will take a big jar of jelly beans to his school, St Mary’s College, for a competition.
“Guess the number of jelly beans in the jar and win the whole jar,” he said.
“All funds raised go towards supporting people with type 1 diabetes.”
Type 1 Foundation, a not-for-profit charity that raises awareness of type 1 diabetes through education in schools, medical practices and the wider community, organised the jelly bean competition.
The cost to take part is a gold coin donation.
Seymour Technology in Anzac Ave and Araminta’s Tea Room in Tallarook St will also have their own jelly bean jars.
Beau and his mum want to get the message out to people and educate them about type 1 diabetes.
“I don’t know if there’s any other parents in Seymour that have children with diabetes because there’s nowhere to actually connect,” Ms Blades said.
“Every chance I get, I start trying to talk to people about it.”
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