Type 1 support for my 9yr old

Hello. Is anyone in tbe upstate NY area. Specifically Putnam county. My Son was Diagnosed with type 1 a little over a year ago. I would really like to find him someone he can relate to. All the support groups are an hour away. Their is no one he knows in School or church.

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Hi. Hopefully you will make some connectons here. I just wanted to suggest it’s not too early to start researching summer camps for kids with Type1. Hopefully there are some not too far from you. I think there may be links under the Resources tab.

My grandson is 8 and newly diagnosed ( 1-26-23) and we are not in close proximity to you but I know he would love to have someone to communicate with. Right now he is feeling pretty overwhelmed since no one at his school or extra curricular activities share his diagnosis. I wish we were closer because that would be great for him to speak with someone near his age. I hope you find someone near to talk with him.

Yes we’ve signed him up. But the camp is in New jersey. It will be once a year in the summer. I want him to have someone closer. More consistent. But Thanks

Good luck to you. Take a breath. You can do this. Yes it is overwhelming at first. But like everything else in life you get used to it and adjust accordingly. Hopefully you have a dexcom, or will get one soon. My Son got a insulin pump tandem its really made a difference woth his blood sugar control. It makes it convenient when your out and he wants something to eat.he can bolus from his phone and keep it moving. Let me know if your Son wants to talk. Maybe have a Zoom/ face time, play video games. Good luck and God bless. I hope you have a good Endocrinologist. We had to switch when we left the hospital.

Hi Melissa,

I have to second what Dorie said, look into camps for kids with T1D. I went to one outside Philadelphia years ago and it was great! Here is a link (hopefully, if not, copy and paste!) for the American Diabetes Assoc.'s Find a Camp: https://diabetes.org/get-involved/community/camp/find-a-camp

You can start looking there to see where any camps are in your area. At diabetes camps, not only do the campers have T1D, but most of the counselors do too. There is a medical staff as well. They are run like other summer camps - swimming, boating etc. The only difference is that they provide meals, etc to fit the needs of people with T1D. He’ll meet lots of kids his age with T1D!

Pam K.
T1D 58.5 years and counting!

In response to your response about camp: When I went, the camp was about an hour and a half away from home. It turned out that one girl I met there lived 10 minutes from me and another lived about 20 mins away. I am still friends with the girl who lived 20 minutes away, as well as with several others! There was also an older girl who lived in the neighborhood across the street from mine. Her younger sister was one grade ahead of me in school. I had no idea that her sister had T1D until I went to camp! So, you never know. There might be someone just around the corner!

Also, has your son signed up here on the Forum? Even though it is not “in person,” he can meet lots of others here, online!

Pam K.

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Thank you, Maybe but I doubt it. We live in a very small town. In my sons school of 400 he is the only one. Also only 3 in the high school of 800. No one in the elementary school.His Endocrinologist looked for me and she doesn’t have anyone His age their all older. But he’s still going to the camp.