A teenager’s battle with diabetes, and the lifeline of the NHFCard

IMAGINE YOUR 10-year-old child slipping into a coma, unable to wake up. No parent should ever experience that heart-wrenching fear, and no child should ever face such a painful reality. Yet, this was the nightmare that nearly became true for Marsha Richards-Smith and her daughter, Khalilah Smith.

It was February 25, 2015, a date that will forever be etched in their hearts. Marsha, a devoted mother, had noticed that her daughter Khalilah, once full of energy, was losing weight rapidly, constantly dehydrated and always hungry. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t yet understand the gravity of it. It wasn’t until a visit to the Bustamante Children’s Hospital that their lives would change forever.

There, they discovered Khalilah had Type 1 diabetes, an illness that usually strikes children and young adults. It was a shocking diagnosis that would set them on a difficult journey, one they never anticipated.

To Marsha’s horror, during the Glucose Metabolic Rate (GMR) test, the results were off the charts. A trainee nurse had administered the test twice, but the machine couldn’t even register the numbers. “Di sugar high till di machine cyaa read it!” a senior nurse exclaimed, confirming just how dangerously high Khalilah’s blood sugar levels were.

This was an emergency. “Immediately, right there, the doctors and everybody came,” she recalls. “They admitted Khalilah. They said if I wasn’t an observant mother and didn’t take her in, she would have gone into a coma. The possibility was that she wouldn’t wake up due to the severity of how high the sugar was.”

At just 10 years old, Khalilah had to spend an entire month in the hospital, fighting for control over her blood sugar levels. This was just the beginning of her battle as she would return to the hospital soon after, and the challenges would continue.

LIVING WITH DIABETES

Now 19 years old and enrolled at Excelsior Community College, Khalilah has made remarkable strides. But even now, as she navigates life as a young adult, the reality of managing Type 1 diabetes never fades.

“I was working this summer when my blood sugar went low, and it was a really bad experience because I went out completely,” Khalilah shares. “I didn’t understand what was happening to me, and it felt like I almost went into a coma. But one of my friends, who knew I had diabetes, gave me something to bring me back up.”

For Khalilah, managing her blood sugar is a delicate balance. “Regularly eating on time, having proper portions, little sugar and carbohydrates is essential for me and other diabetics,” she explains.

THE LIFESAVING SUPPORT OF THE NHFCARD

Yet, one of the most important aspects of Khalilah’s daily life is the NHFCard. Thanks to this invaluable resource provided by the National Health Fund (NHF), Khalilah and her mother have access to affordable medication in the form of insulin, a necessity for those with Type 1 diabetes.

“When she was first admitted at Bustamante, they told me to get the card,” said Marsha. “So, she’s had that card from that time, and it helps. I can go to the NHF [participating] pharmacy to fill her prescription, or I can go to a public pharmacy, and the cost is reduced for the medicine.”

For Khalilah, the NHFCard has been a lifeline, making life more manageable. “It definitely takes a burden off of you and makes life much easier,” she said. “Sometimes, when you go to the [Drug Serv] pharmacy, you have to wait, but they have a schedule where you can drop off your prescription and pick it up at a certain time. That is really helpful.”

A RESOURCE FOR ALL JAMAICANS

Thousands of Jamaicans living with diabetes, as well as other chronic conditions covered by the NHF, like hypertension and asthma, benefit from the NHFCard each day. For Khalilah and her family, it has provided much-needed relief during the toughest times. But, for so many others, it’s still an unknown resource, a source of hope they may not yet know about.

The NHFCard is available to anyone diagnosed with any of the 22 chronic conditions covered by the programme. It can be accessed through a simple application process. Once registered, patients can receive reduced prices on medications for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, asthma and more, helping ease the financial strain of managing long-term health conditions.

The NHF is not just about medication; it’s about supporting individuals like Khalilah to live their best possible lives, despite the challenges they face. It’s about helping Jamaicans maintain their health, reclaim their strength, and become productive men and women. By reducing the cost of essential medications, the NHFCard makes this possible.

For those living with diabetes, whether Type 1 or Type 2, the NHFCard is an invitation to a healthier, more manageable life. To learn more, visit the NHF website or speak to your doctor today.

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