98 JULY/AUGUST 2019 diabetic living
WORDS^ ELLIEGRIFFITHSPHOTOGRAPHYSUPPLIED^BYBEAULIEUFAMILY,^ JEMMTALEPHOTOGRAPHYFourteen-year-old
Kate Beaulieu is raising
awareness of the
importance of an early
diagnosis, through her
brand Sugardrop
“I was sick for what felt like
forever, and I wasn’t getting
better,” explains Kate. Her mum,
Karan, first took her to the
paediatrician, just after Christmas
2016, when the then 12-year-old
was sent home with the flu.
A second trip to the doctor led
to a diagnosis of pneumonia
and Kate was put on antibiotics.
During this time, she missed a lot
of school and dance, had zero
energy, was constantly thirsty
and went to the bathroom more
than usual. However, it wasn’t
until her vision blurred and she
began vomiting that her parents
really started to worry, insisting
on blood tests after the third
doctor’s visit. One hour after
the test, they received the call
to take Kate to the emergency
room at their children’s hospital
in Ottawa, Ontario, where she
was told her BGL was 44mmol/Lsweetwear
SUGARDROP
For more information,
visit sugardrop.ca.