Beside myself with fury!

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glodee

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1.5 LADA
Cannot believe what my daughter recounted to me about today. Gem had PE this morning first thing. Bags were deposited in the gym, and then they walked a mile to a local park for tennis. On the way Gem felt hypo. Teacher instructed her to sit in the shade, saying ' let me know if you are going to collapse so I can catch you'!!!!
One hour (!!) later, she had to make the mile walk back to school, feeling faint, where she finally got her hands on some glocotabs.She was 2.6 after eating half a dozen
She knows she should have had them with her at all times, but the insensitivity and ignorance of the teacher beggars belief.
I'm so furious, I can hardly contain myself.
 
To me that is blatent dereliction of his duty of care. And I would certainly write to the headmaster, board of governers, department for scools and families and the cheif education officer and let them all know what I think.


I actually did this once due to noticing my daughter (approx 8 years at the time) in the play ground with just a t-shirt on when the temperature was -11.
Apparently her pullover got wet during a painting lesson and the teacher wouldn't let her back in to get her coat.
Headmaster retired soon after and I hope I helped him make that descision. The school couldn't do enough for my kids after the incident and were treated like princesses. So it was worth it.
 
glodee said:
Cannot believe what my daughter recounted to me about today. Gem had PE this morning first thing. Bags were deposited in the gym, and then they walked a mile to a local park for tennis. On the way Gem felt hypo. Teacher instructed her to sit in the shade, saying ' let me know if you are going to collapse so I can catch you'!!!!
One hour (!!) later, she had to make the mile walk back to school, feeling faint, where she finally got her hands on some glocotabs.She was 2.6 after eating half a dozen
She knows she should have had them with her at all times, but the insensitivity and ignorance of the teacher beggars belief.
I'm so furious, I can hardly contain myself.
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I'm furious for you, what a jerk this teacher appears to be. I know you can't do anything today, but please report this incident(don't know if it will do any good), but let the school know how you feel, diabetes is a medical condition, not a joke. Anyway, have a good weekend, best wishes Sheena😡
 
😱 I agree with all the above and i hope that i don't have any of this when my daughter starts school this year!
Its frightening.

I'm sorry to hear that your daughter Glodee (and you) have had to go through this. It is neglectful and a lack of knowledge by the sounds of it. Sound like her teacher needs to be educated! Ironic! But truely frightening. I agree, you should report this as you don't want this to happen again and if ti does (worse case scenario), then it has all been logged (as they say if it isn't in writing it doesn't exist/didn't happen).

Bernie xx 🙂
 
Definatley report it, and suggest the teachers go on some training course to make them aware of the dangers of diabetes.
 
Thank goodness she was able to make it back! What did the teacher expect to happen? Surely he/she didn't really believe that she might collapse and need an ambulance? If she did, then that is disgusting, if she didn't then she was treating it as a joke. I don't know which is worse. :(
 
Bazalona said:
Definatley report it, and suggest the teachers go on some training course to make them aware of the dangers of diabetes.
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Agreed. I do find it perplexing that a teacher should be so unaware of potential issues with the children under his/her care. :(

Andy
 
Sure the teacher was insensitive, and should be reported, but as Glodee acknowledges, her daughter (15 yrs old, if I read signature correctly?) should have had sugar / glucose with her. I'm assuming she was wearing shorts or similar with pockets, rather than pocketless gym skirts like we had to in 1970s/80s? A 1 mile walk to an event, whether a tennis lesson or an orienteering race start is not so unusual, and warm weather does reduce blood sugar. At least she was told to sit in shade rather than run around in the sun, which would have brought blood sugar lower quicker. Hope the problem doesn't happen again, because of better management by both teacher(s) and Glodee's daughter.
 
I am a teacher and I hope I would have more sense than this one, but being diabetic myself would mean I had some knowledge. However in 30 years of teaching I have not once been offered a training course in this type of thing. There are loads of conditions that a teacher needs to be aware of and actually in 30 years I have never had a diabetic child in my class. Children, even the young ones have to take some responsibility for themselves. Many 7 year olds with asthma are sensible enough to remember to take inhalers when they go on trips or to PE etc. Obviously a teacher does need to check that they do remember but they must be encouraged to take that responsibility. I wonder if this particular teacher actually knew your daughter was diabetic before they left the school. If not that was a management error as all teachers should be informed of any children in their care with special needs and there should be a written report on the care needed and teachers should have read it. Several things should have happened here - the child should have remembered to take her glucose with her and it should have been easily accessible to her. She could have asked the teacher to carry it if there were no pockets. The teacher could have reminded her before leaving . I think once out of school and these things were not done it was then very difficult situation. The teacher should have been carrying a mobile phone and could have summoned help but if the severity of the situation hadn't been explained and information on what to do in this event not explained it is very difficult to blame the teacher too much.
I can understand your anger and I would write to the head teacher and chairman of governors. I would ask questions about how information on your daughters condition was relayed to all teachers who care for her and why on this occasion care was inadequate. If you have not already done it I would write clear instructions on how to deal with a hypo and ask that all teachers were informed.
 
Granted Glodee's daughter should have remembered to take hypo treatment with her, but hey - I'm 51 years old and VERY responsible, but even I have occasionally forgotten to take all the necessary gubbins with me. Leaving a poorly child with a medical condition is very poor. Whatever the teacher knew about diabetes, she should have erred on the side of caution, surely and maybe sent someone to get some sugar at least - I can't imagine the tennis courts were stuck in the middle of a one mile sugar exclusion zone. This could have had extremely serious consequences and the incident with the poor child sent out of class when needing asthma inhaler is still fresh in my mind.

Obviously, the incident is over with now, but it really does need to be stressed to the school just how serious this might have been. Had the worst happened there would have been all the usual 'we're reviewing our procedures to make sure this doesn't happen again' - when it doesn't need to happen now, the knowledge is already there, and the 'procedures' should be too.
 
Copepod said:
Sure the teacher was insensitive, and should be reported, but as Glodee acknowledges, her daughter (15 yrs old, if I read signature correctly?) should have had sugar / glucose with her. I'm assuming she was wearing shorts or similar with pockets, rather than pocketless gym skirts like we had to in 1970s/80s? A 1 mile walk to an event, whether a tennis lesson or an orienteering race start is not so unusual, and warm weather does reduce blood sugar. At least she was told to sit in shade rather than run around in the sun, which would have brought blood sugar lower quicker. Hope the problem doesn't happen again, because of better management by both teacher(s) and Glodee's daughter.
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I would just like to add that my daughters shorts for PE are like cycling shorts so have no pockets.

When i was at school i must admit that i just wanted to be treated normally and wouldn't want to make a big deal of things so would often go out with no extra sugar doing cross country and the like, neglectful as that sounds, but i think its also a teenage thing and accepting yourself the difference with your body.

What about her friends? I know mine were great and would help me out?

I asked my mum after the birth of my daughter how the devil she coped with me and diabetes back in the day? She said you just hope and pray you come out the otherside in tact. I think she meant in general but i truely understand how you must feel, especially in a day of age where knowledge and power to educate exists.

Good luck with it all Bernie 🙂 xx
 
Oh I wasn't trying to excuse anyone as this is very serious. All teachers who come into contact with this child should know what to do and by writing to the school governors and the head teacher should make sure they review how they care for any child with special needs. I think if it was my child I would request a meeting with the chair of governors and head teacher and ask how they will change procedures to prevent this happening again to anyone. I would make sure they realised the seriousness of the situation. I'm sure the young girl really doesn't want to draw attention to herself but it is important that all her teachers are aware of what to do. This particular teacher clearly wasn't and something needs to be put in place in the event of her forgetting her glucose. I'm sure most teachers would happily carry it for her 'if they knew' and those are the crucial words.
 
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