Ribston Hall School for Girls

RHS BadgeThis year the Group were again approached by Denise Stoner from Ribston Hall School for Girls in Gloucester to ask if anyone from the Group would be willing to talk again about their diabetes experiences to the first year 6th Form students.

As part of their Health and Wellbeing A level, the girls are required, amongst other things, to understand several serious long term conditions and how they affects the daily lives of those (and their family & friends) with the condition. Diabetes is one of the conditions to be studied, and as well as finding out the purely medical facts of the condition, they have to understand how it affects the individual on a day to day basis.

Ros Gibbs (Type 1) and myself (Type 2) went along to the school and hopefully gave the students a good insight into what it’s like to live with diabetes and how it also affects those around you. Whilst we discussed all aspects of having and living with diabetes, we tried to emphasise that whilst it is a serious, potentially life threatening condition, with early diagnosis, a good understanding of it and good control, you can lead a normal and active life.

We both enjoyed talking to the girls, who were most attentive and asked some very good and pertinent questions, which we tried our best to answer. I pointed out that if Sir Steve Redgrave can win five Olympic rowing gold medals whilst having diabetes, their are no limits to what someone with the condition can achieve.

I would like to thank Denise for again giving us the chance to meet and talk to the girls and also Ros for sparing her time to speak to the students and for giving such good talk, well done.

Mike Broome