Billie's 21st Birthday - Money towards her CGM

On the 5th of April, I'll be turning 21. While we'll be celebrating, I'll be calculating. Calculating the impact of the birthday cake I eat on my blood sugars, how much my dancing will affect my blood sugars, how much my hormonal changes from the excitement of seeing everyone and nerves before making my speech will affect my blood sugars.

The Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) takes away all of that mental effort and tracks all of this for me. It's attached to me 24/7, connected to my insulin pump, phone, and family/friends' phones to track my blood sugars and whether they're going dangerously low or high.

This has saved my life on so many occasions. With the CGM, I've known when to pull over while driving so I don't have a hypoglycaemic episode behind the wheel. With the CGM, I've been woken up in the middle of the night, so I don't fall into a coma while sleeping. With the CGM, I feel safe knowing friends and family will be notified if anything happens to me at home alone.

I am so lucky that for the past 16 years of living with Type One Diabetes, the technology available has been heavily subsidised under the National Diabetes Insurance Scheme (NDIS). But when I turn 21, the CGM is no longer funded. The CGM will now cost me $5215 each year; $110 every ten days to insert the transmitter, as well as the transmitter itself, which costs $400 every three months.

Since being diagnosed with T1D at the age of 4, I've stayed positive about the many challenges I face every day. But this is something I want people to know about, to talk about, and to care about for me. Because this isn't just about my safety, but also my independence. I have worked hard and am so proud of myself for the independent person I am, and I don't want my access to a medical device to set me back.

So if you were considering giving me a gift for my 21st birthday this year, I would greatly appreciate that that money went towards my stash of CGMs. If you can't give money but still want to support me, you can stay up to date on my advocacy journey, ask me any questions about life with T1D, and continue spreading awareness of T1D:)

Thank you for being a special part of my life x