By, Anonymous
1 min read
ByAnonymous, Anonymous
A Yavneh College pupil has told the Duchess of Cornwall how she copes with type 1 diabetes.
Sophie Abergil, 16, from Mill Hill, supports diabetes charity JDRF, of which the duchess is president. They met at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust last Thursday.
She showed the duchess the JDRF’s Talking T1 secondary school pack, which helps young people with type 1 diabetes to manage their condition in the classroom.
Sophie said that her primary school “wasn’t very good with my diabetes. I was able to do my own injections but the school didn’t want to take the responsibility if something went wrong.
“This meant my parents and grandparents had to watch me take my injections every day.”
In contrast, Yavneh was “really good. My teachers are great and they understand when I need to leave the classroom — especially during my exams, when they would stop the clock and restart it when I came back.
“I am pretty independent but it is great they are so willing to help me.”
Sophie achieved high grades in her GCSEs despite being absent from school for up to 25 per cent of term time due to her condition. She is now studying for AS levels.
Diagnosed at four, Sophie initially needed “several insulin injections every day. That was very difficult, especially for a small child. Thankfully I was then given an insulin pump. This makes it easier to get on with life.”