George's Story
George Smith had an active job and believed he was healthy and fit. Until last year, when he suffered a stroke and was later diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. George was referred to Diabetes New Zealand’s six-week self-management education course, which he says was a gamechanger.
“The first session really blew me away. We were told about what diabetes is, what causes it, and why it’s so important that it’s managed. I actually felt really emotional because I had been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, but I had no idea how serious that was.”
The Diabetes Your Life Your Journey self-management education programme is run by our Diabetes Community Coordinators – Kaiāwhina Mate Huka. It differs from other programmes in that it encourages goal setting from week one right through to week six. Each week participants are encouraged at the beginning to share their progress and celebrate their achievements.
The programme is offered free of charge to those who are referred, so there are no barriers to receiving help and support. Last year our Diabetes Community Coordinators supported 2,684 individuals and whānau across the country – but there are so many more people that desperately need the support and education that this programme provides. We can only continue running this programme with the support of donations.
During the course George said he met his hero, who changed his life.
“A participant told us about how he’d managed to get his blood sugar levels down to a normal level through diet and I just saw him as this hero. I was so inspired by him, that he could actually do that! From that moment on I felt absolutely committed to learning all I could and applying that to myself.”
And it’s been working. Prior to starting the course George says his blood sugar levels were “way off the chart” but are now down to a much healthier level.
“I’ve learnt how to read food packaging and how to adapt my cooking, how to get the right balance of protein and carbohydrates, and I’ve realised that I can still really enjoy food and feel satisfied. For breakfast I have three weetbix with probiotic yoghurt and a few blueberries. I would never have eaten that in the past, but I really enjoy it. I understand how different foods affect my blood sugar levels and I know now how to control this. Before my stroke I had no idea. I never really thought about food. I had always walked long distances for my work, so I was pretty fit, and my weight wasn’t too bad. I just never really understood the danger I was in.”
Around 310,000 New Zealanders have diabetes, and the number is expected to rise by up to 90% by 2040. And this number doesn’t include those with pre-diabetes, like George did. We are on an urgent mission to prevent people from developing this complex condition and the key to that is early detection. Will you help us?
Donations to support this work will enable us to reach more people early and help them avoid serious complications later - and help people like George get a new lease on life after a diagnosis and empower them to manage their condition so they can stay healthy. A donation will enable our Diabetes Community Coordinators to work with people to give them the support, advice, knowledge and encouragement they need to make long-term lifestyle changes, which are crucial to helping them manage their diabetes.
George is still recovering from his stroke and is adjusting to having poorer eyesight and memory loss. But he’s slowly introducing exercise back into his life and that he says is his new challenge. He’s working on feeling good and healthy and has found a new love of cleaning.
“My place is now totally pristine; I think that makes me feel more in control and organised.”
If you are able to support this work by making a donation, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your ongoing support that allows us to be there for people like George every day.