The Lives We Lead
District-wide program assistsbrdiabetic studentsReading, writing and recess.brThose things are on the mind of most kids during the school day. But for some,brthere are other things more important than who gets to the playground first. Firstbrgrader Lucas has to think about what finger he’s supposed to prick to test his bloodbrsugar, and eighth grader Liam has to plan out his carbohydrate intake beforebrlunch. Both have type 1 diabetes and must monitor and treat their condition whilebrat school.
Treatmentbrfor type 1 diabetes requires regular blood-sugar checks, insulin injections andbrfood intake monitoring. In addition, diabetics need access to water and snacks asbrnecessary to control symptoms and possible complications. Seeing a need forbrthis in the district, Keller ISD began the Safe in School program.
“The Safe in Schoolbrprogram was implemented as a district policy due to the number of diabeticbrstudents in the district,” says RhondabrHendricks, RN, of Keller HarvelbrElementary—and Lucas’ school nurse. “The policy is used as a safetybrmeasure and allows students structure and the ability to test in the classroom.brIt also provides trained individuals to assist in care on campus when a nursebris not available and to attend field trips and other off-campus activities whenbra nurse is not available.”
AlthoughbrLiam’s family resides in Southlake, they are in the Keller school districtbrzone. “We’ve dealt with Keller ISD elementary, intermediate and now middlebrschool, and we’ve never had a problem,” says Traci Rhodes, Liam’s mom. “Thebrschool district is phenomenal. From the top down, the nurses always tell us,br‘You tell us what you need, and we will provide.’”
MelindabrBaker, RN works with another diabetic student at the high school level, Taylor.brActive in sports, Taylor is on the varsity golf team. Taylor visits Nurse Bakerbrevery afternoon before golf to make sure she is in the right condition to play.brIf any red flags are raised, Taylor must forgo golf for the day. “I feel verybrcomfortable with the school,” says Sarah Robinson, Taylor’s mom. “If it werebrnot for the special training her teachers and coaches received, Taylor mightbrnot have the opportunity for a normal school life.”
Butbrthe interaction the school nurses have with these students goes above andbrbeyond just managing their symptoms. They have the unique opportunity to helpbrthese students learn how to better manage their condition with long-term benefits.br“Nurse Rhonda shows Lucas the little nuances of treating his condition, such asbrrotating fingers for testing,” says Gaye Montemayor, Lucas’ mom.
Atbrsuch a young age, Lucas is still learning how to care for himself when it comesbrto his diabetes. Thanks to the trained care he receives at school, he hasbrreached a significant milestone. Lucas knows to alert his teacher or nurse ifbrhe is not feeling well. And lucky for Lucas, thanks to their Safe in Schoolbrtraining, the teachers and nurses at his school know exactly what to do to helpbrhim.
For most, living with type 1 diabetes is a daily reminder that you havebrto do some things differently in life. You can imagine that for children, whobrwant so badly to fit in and be “normal,” being diagnosed with type 1 diabetesbrcan be a struggle. But thanks to a Keller ISD district-wide program, kids withbrtype 1 diabetes can attend a mainstream school and still get the care theybrneed. Not only can the students feel safe while at school, but they can managebrtheir symptoms without drawing a lot of attention and most importantly to them,br“fit in.”
“This program insures safety and flexibility for the diabetic students,”brsays School Nurse Rhonda Hicks at Keller Harvel Elementary. “Under this policybrthe students, with doctor and parental permission, are allowed to test theirbrblood glucose levels (BGL) outside the clinic in classrooms and otherbrareas. This minimizes the time missed from class and gives the student morebrcontrol of their disease.”