Georgina’s pedal power boost for diabetes charity

A 10-hour pedalathon has raised more than £1,000 for the Diabetes UK charity.

The event was the brainchild of 10-year-old Georgina Davis, from Copley, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes earlier this year.

Her mother Kathryn is a practice administrator at Castle Farm Vets, in Barnard Castle, and that’s where the pedal-a-thon took place this week.

Like many parents, Georgina’s diagnosis came as a complete shock to Kathryn and her husband John, and they are keen to raise awareness of the symptoms that can indicate type 1 diabetes and also the daily challenge of living with the illness.

“Georgina was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in January,” Kathryn told the Mercury.

“We thought she had a bit of a tummy bug but I rang 111 and, after I described the symptoms, they said they wanted to send an ambulance.

“I drove her to Durham Hospital and we were in A&E for a couple of minutes before she was rushed into Resus (the resuscitation area).

“The lady in A&E must have been a diabetes specialist because she immediately took notice of the symptoms that 111 had sent through.

“Thankfully she was on it because they said Georgina wasn’t far from going into a diabetic coma due to her sugars being so high.

“We ended up being in the hospital the whole week getting her sugars sorted out and learning what to do to manage her diabetes.”

Kathryn revealed it was Georgina’s idea to raise money for charity and the entire family took part, including Georgina’s eight-year-old sister Lucinda and her brother Ronnie, who’s six.

All three attend Butterknowle Primary School.

Kathryn, who singled out work colleague Jo Wilkinson for her help, said: “I mentioned it in work and they said, ‘we’ll support you’.

“We decided to organise a sponsored bike ride here at Castle Vets and we’ve had fantastic support from the customers and the staff.”

Jade McArdle, the Diabetes UK community fundraiser for the North East and Yorkshire, helped organise the pedal-a-thon, which ran from 8am to 6pm on Wednesday.

“People get a diagnosis and it’s life-changing,” she said.

“However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t live a normal life like other children.

“Like Georgina, you can still do what other children do, you just have to be a bit more mindful.”

Fortunately, Georgina received her treatment in time but, tragically, there are cases where it’s too late.

“One of the things that we heavily push is awareness of the 4Ts,” added Jade.

Symptoms to watch out for are if a child is more tired, thirsty or thinner than they used to be or if they’re using the toilet to have a wee more frequently.

Parents should seek immediate medical advice if they spot any symptoms.

At the time this paper went to press, more than £1,000 has been raised.

To donate visit: justgiving.com/page/joanne-wilkinson-4