Would my T1 child survive a lock down?

After the horrific tragedy in Connecticut I can't help but think about my own children. As I watched the faces of the terrified parents running to find out about their babies, all I could do was cry and pray.  I just wanted to run to Jasmine's school and hug her close and keep her safe. I can't even begin to imagine the pain and horror this community was feeling but as a mom, my heart was breaking. A rational mind will never comprehend how these sweet children and teachers could be taken away from us in a flash. A rational mind will never be able to comprehend this, ever. My heart goes out to all the parents and people affected by this tragedy.  May we continue to lift these families and the entire community in prayers and show our support for them by helping out in any way we can. <3

Now on a selfish note. I am thinking about Jasmine, my 3rd grader, my 8 year old, my T1 diabetic. I am thinking that God forbid if anything happened at her school, would she survive a lock down?  Sandy Hook Elementary School has over 600 students. During the tragedy, the school was on lock down. Lock down......no one going in, no one going out. Students locked in their classrooms, hiding under their desks. I don't want to sound heartless or cruel here but I can't help to stop and wonder, what about the children with T1 diabetes? While all the children are on lock down, huddled in their classrooms, what if our Type 1 child started experiencing hypoglycemic reactions to a low blood sugar? You may think to yourself, OMG! How could she even think that with this horrific event happening?! But you have to understand that if my child's blood glucose levels start to drop, she could go into a dangerous low that could result in coma and death if left unchecked. So not only does this tragedy scare me from the evil and madness that entered the school that day, but also from  the standpoint of, "would my child survive a lock down"?

All parents that have children with special needs, need to know what would happen to our children in case of a lock down. We take for granted that it's a slight possibility of anything ever happening, so we just think, it will be ok. Then something happens, no matter how big or small, and it's too late to be prepared. Before anything occurs, we must make certain that our children's teachers are prepared. It is of vital importance that you as the parent, talk to your school's principal and staff about these things. Together, you can make sure that your child will be as safe as possible during a lock down.

Be it diabetes, asthma, or some other condition that requires special attention, please don't wait until it's too late. Even though the office may be stocked up on supplies for your child, what if going to the office is not an option? A lot of us may have to have another meeting with our school nurse and staff in the lieu of this latest tragedy. The norm may have to be changed to accomodate the health and well being of our T1s and other special needs children. Maybe we have to think out of the box, in case the unthinkable happens at our school.  The bottom line is this, we must keep our children safe at school, no matter what the conditions, even if that condition is Type 1 diabetes.  May God keep His arms wrapped tightly around all our children.