21 Jul Type One Diabetes A-Z Event Focuses on T1D Education, Resilience, and Empathy
Pagination Bookshop to host reading and signing Saturday, July 23 at 11 a.m.…
Join Ellie Saturday, July 23 from 11 a.m.-12 noon at Pagination Bookshop, 1150 E. Walnut St., Springfield, MO, for a reading and book signing. Ellie’s book, Type One Diabetes A-Z, is an alphabet book for young readers. Weather permitting, the event will be in Pagination’s picturesque (and shaded!) backyard. Masks are always encouraged.
Ellie’s book promotes understanding of a complex condition and helps empower children recently diagnosed with type one diabetes (T1D). We discovered from feedback, reader reviews, and events at libraries, schools, and indie bookstores that Ellie’s primer also helps friends, teachers, extended family, and caregivers who want to support a child with T1D.
Ellie wrote Type One Diabetes A-Z for children whose lives are upended by T1D, but we hope the book inspires us all to look out for each other, develop resilience, express empathy and solidarity, and share our stories.
Developing Resilience
Managing diabetes requires diligence and resilience. It’s easy to dwell on real (and imagined) pitfalls. We try to think of the reasons why we’ll succeed. We test BG regularly, we count carbs before eating, we carry supplies we need, we communicate with Ellie’s healthcare team… There are a lot of reasons why we’ll have success, and we focus on those. Quiet the creeping doubts, endless loop of worries, and inner self-criticism and replace negative thoughts with more positive ones. (In other words, don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to a friend or loved one.)
We’re sharing a worksheet to develop your own resilience plan that will apply not only to T1D but to most of life’s challenges. The aim is to help you define resources to help you recover from setbacks and to keep moving forward.
Expressing Empathy
Ellie has learned that she is safer when people around her understand T1D. For example, her friends know how to help her treat a low blood sugar, how to give her glucagon if she is unresponsive, etc. We have learned that everyone is better off when we know and understand the unique challenges and experiences of the people around us (regardless of whether they have T1D). We’re better able to look out for each other and take care of each other.
Empathy is a superpower. Flex it. As Ellie’s family, we would give anything—our own health included—for Ellie to have a healthy pancreas and live without T1D. But, living with T1D gives us perspective and empathy we might otherwise not have. Empathy is a strength we can all develop.
Writer Kayla Barnes even identifies how empathy upgrades our brains and enhances our lives.
High levels of empathy are associated with:
- Increased overall satisfaction, strong social connections, healthy relationships, heightened cognitive performance, and greater overall well-being.
- Enhanced perception of others and increased ability to relate, connect, and bond with people around us.
- Lower levels of aggression and stress (leading to less inflammation).
- More generosity and respectfulness. We’re happier when we are empathetic.
- Heightened sense of creativity.
- Stronger feelings of trust and compassion.
- Improved regulation of emotions and the capacity to address struggles and frustrations.
- More appreciation for the world around us.
How does empathy relate to parenting a child with T1D? It’s the reminder that big emotions don’t always have to be fixed. Sometimes they just need to be felt. If we can’t tolerate our kids’ sadness, anger, frustration, and/or confusion, then they won’t be able to either.
One great benefit to having in person events again is the ability to connect. Visit with us about T1D, chat with friends (old and new), enjoy Ellie’s reading, pick up a signed copy of the book and handouts to inspire your own storytelling and resilience building.
We look forward to seeing you at Pagination Bookshop this Saturday.