A self-affected doctor and the mother of a sick young person in a self-help podcast.
In East Tyrol, two to three people develop type 1 diabetes every year. Gabriel is one of them. He was diagnosed when he was 14 years old. Unlike type 2, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Your own immune system misdirects itself against the body and destroys insulin-producing cells. The body can no longer produce insulin itself, so those affected have to consume the vital hormone for the rest of their lives.
The causes of this incurable disease are not yet fully understood. The disease usually occurs in children and adolescents – often completely unexpectedly, as was the case with Gabriel. His mother, Katharina Unterlechner, talks in the podcast about the major challenges for those affected and their families and reports on how she and her son deal with them.
Katharina founded the self-help group “Diabetic Children and Youth Group East Tyrol” in which those affected and their families exchange ideas. Sometimes it also involves dealing with prejudices that parents in particular are confronted with. The children and young people are not fed unhealthy meals or too many sweets by their mothers! In contrast to the widespread type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes is not caused by an unhealthy lifestyle.
There are currently around 800,000 people in Austria who suffer from diabetes mellitus. Of these, 85 to 90 percent suffer from type 2 diabetes – and the numbers continue to rise dangerously. Around 30,000 people suffer from type 1 diabetes, including around 3,500 school children, according to the ÖDG – the Austrian Diabetes Society.
The child and adolescent specialist Robert Kovacic is a specialist in this field. As a young medical student himself, Kovacic unexpectedly developed type 1 diabetes and in his practice in Nußdorf-Debant he also looks after people who have long since outgrown adolescence. Early detection of symptoms is particularly important to him.
Occur in children and young people e.g. If symptoms occur, such as severe thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, tiredness, weakness or difficulty concentrating, parents should also think about type 1 diabetes. Robert Kovacic emphasizes that a good and fulfilling life with this disease is now very possible thanks to modern therapies. What is crucial is a supportive environment, careful self-care and, above all, acceptance of the illness by the person affected.
Gabriel has always been a passionate footballer. The diagnosis two years ago hasn’t changed that – he’s just gotten better.
Information and support:
Diabetic children and youth group East Tyrol, Self-help East Tyrol
Katharina Unterlechner: Tel. 0676 748 11 76
The Dolomitenstadt Podcast is an acoustic magazine that the editorial team of dolomitenstadt.at in Lienz puts together. The range of topics is wide and is not limited to the region. We present exciting projects, dedicate ourselves to the arts and the art of living, look into cooking pots and outside the box, tackle hot topics and discuss the topics of our time with people who have something to say. Can also be found on Spotify and at Apple Podcasts.
