KEY POINTS:
Name: Adrian Coombe.
Age: 45.
Roles: Diabetes Youth Co-ordinator for Mid Central Health in the Manawatu and President of Diabetes Youth NZ.
Working hours: Supposed to be 40 hours but never is.
Average salary: For Manawatu job $40K-$50K; president role is unpaid.
Qualifications: The ability to listen and care.
Describe what you do.
Most people will say that I live and breathe youth diabetes. My paid job is the diabetes youth co-ordinator for Mid-Central Health in the Manawatu. I do not have any medical qualifications; my experiences come from having a step-daughter diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 10 years ago.
I have been in this role for 18 months and my main duties include organising camps and activities, support for the person with diabetes and their family, advocacy, liaison and fundraising.
I also carried out similar duties voluntarily within Diabetes Manawatu for six years.
My position as president of Diabetes Youth NZ (DYNZ) is voluntary but one I enjoy very much. DYNZ is affiliated to Diabetes NZ but we represent different consumer groups - us, the under 25s and the majority with Type 1 diabetes; them, the older population with the majority having Type 2 diabetes.
I was elected as president of DYNZ three years ago. I lead a committee of 12 who are predominantly parents of children with Type 1 diabetes. Some parents also have Type 1 diabetes themselves. All are volunteers and come from all over NZ, from Invercargill to Whangarei.
Your history?
I left school at 16 and joined the NZ Army where I served for eight years. I had two other jobs before this one.
How many young diabetics do you represent?
About 200 young people under the age of 25 in the Mid-Central District Health Board area. Within my role of president of Diabetes Youth NZ, I represent 3500 young diabetics.
How do young diabetics' needs differ to adults with diabetes?
There are many differences. Young people with diabetes cannot distinguish for themselves when they have a low or high blood glucose level; and they are unable to communicate effectively to ask for adult assistance. When the children get sick, it makes diabetes management difficult. They are growing and their parents may have other children to look after and are not always able to be with their diabetic child. Children cannot calculate insulin doses and often need to be chased around the room by parents to endure another of the five daily injections. Plus, activity levels are never steady.
It must help young people when they know sporting heroes, such as cricketer Craig McMillan, also have diabetes?
It does but unfortunately not enough sporting heroes or high-profile role models divulge that they have diabetes to the public.
Why did you choose this line of work?
I could see a gap in the services being supplied by the local DHB for children with diabetes. I could see the same gaps when accepting the position of DYNZ president. I wanted to be part of a group of people that could do something about those gaps, thereby benefiting all children in NZ with diabetes.
What skills/training do you need in your roles?
I think the main "training" for my roles has been "life experiences" from growing and living within a family that has a young person with Type 1 diabetes being able to understand what families have to cope with.
When my step-daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, it had a huge impact on our family life. We could not prevent it but we, as a family, now have to live with it.
Every day had to be planned; we couldn't just do things when we wanted. It was like having another "unpaid" job. Because there is no history of diabetes in the family, it was a case of having to learn and cope with this condition. This takes time; it's stressful and tiring.
I am always learning in these roles - you never get two people with diabetes that will have the same routines, medication or problems.
The main skill needed is the ability to listen and understand. Often parents and young people need someone to talk to, someone willing to listen.
I do have basic first aid which must be updated every two years.
Most rewarding part of the jobs?
The best part is seeing the children live as normal a life as possible with this condition. To see their happy faces at camps and activities more than compensates the time that is involved.
Advice to someone wanting to do the same thing?
Make sure you have passion, time and commitment. Both roles make up an enormous part of my life. Without the understanding of my family, I would not be able to do what I do.
* donna.mcintyre@xtra.co.nz
