MOUNT Evelyn Primary School youngster Zachary Wall recently returned from a trip to Canberra to campaign for continued government funding for clinical research into type one diabetes.
The seven-year-old was one of 100 children to meet with MPs at Parliament House to ask for $35 million over five years for the Australian Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Research Network and spent the day with Casey MP Tony Smith.
Zachary’s mum Jeanette said he was one of the youngest kids in Canberra and had a great time meeting others.
“Zach had an absolute blast in Canberra, he really enjoyed meeting other kids with type one diabetes and realising it’s not just him that’s going through it,” she said.
“The $35 million over five years was basically for clinical research trials which can and will work significantly towards either getting a cure or better management of diabetes for children because it’s a hell of a thing to live with really.”
Zach needs four needles and about 12 finger prick tests a day just to keep him alive.
Ms Wall says she and her partner Darrin have to keep a constant eye on Zachary to ensure his blood sugar levels don’t get too high or too low.
“We have to constantly be very vigilant,” she said.
“He’s been a real little trooper and he’s coped really well. He’s had days like every other kid where he doesn’t want to do it anymore, but could you blame him?”
Ms Wall said working towards finding a cure would mean the world to her family and for other families who are and would have to face having a child with type one diabetes.
“We live our lives on call because diabetes doesn’t sleep, so you always need to be on the ball,” she said.
“Managing diabetes is a job in itself for parents and I would be beyond amazingly relieved and grateful if we can get a cure for the kids.
“It would make a world of difference for their lives and it would make a difference for their family as well because diabetes really is like another person in the house.
“To get a cure would just be phenomenal because it would just take away the other entity.”
