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Marie Lamarque
Published on
Nov 5, 2024 at 7:12 a.m.
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“It is a unique model in France, which must still prove itself and then, perhaps, be copied elsewhere”, hopes Corinne Colmel. A dietitian by profession, she is today at the head of the first Childhood Diabetes Center in Toulouse.
This project, which was able to come to fruition at the end of September 2024, was supported by the Childhood Adolescence & Diabetes association. Installed in the premises of a former nursery, at 109 avenue des Arènes romaines, the site is very close to the Purpan district, and in particular to the Children’s Hospital with which the association works. A real advantage.
400 children followed each year
Colorful graffiti at the entrance. Rooms whose names refer to the world of childhood: Hogwarts, Asteroid B612, Little Brown Bear… Everything is done to contrast with the atmosphere, sometimes too gloomy, of the hospital. The objective of the association is there: to offer a place of neutral therapeutic education to diabetic children, from the age of three.
“We were looking for our castle, and we found it,” rejoices Corinne Colmel. A castle that will benefit 400 children which are monitored every year. Overall, “ the association supports 1,200 children who sometimes live far from Toulouse, in Aveyron or even Ariège”.
The number of diabetic children on the rise
On a national scale, the figures are questionable. “ 26,000 children suffer from diabetes in France. The number of new cases increases by 4% each year. The pathology is also detected in increasingly younger children. At the moment, we don’t know how to explain it. Several factors may be involved: genetic, environmental, etc.,” indicates Corinne Colmel.
Because unlike the better known type 2 diabetes, diabetes in children (type 1) “is not simply treated with a good diet and physical activity. In children, it is an autoimmune disease. The pancreas no longer produces insulin. It must be administered by injection (pen or pump) and blood sugar monitored using sensors.”
Signs that can alert
Before the diagnosis, signs can alert parents:
– the child urinates a lot or tends to wet the bed;
– he drinks a lot, is very often thirsty;
– he is very often tired.
Workshops by age category
When diabetes begins at a young age, the child must learn to live with it and for the rest of their life. To provide the best support, the Children’s Diabetes Center sets up different workshops by age category, three days per year for the youngest; and two or three stays (of five days) per year for older children. Pediatrician, childcare worker, dietician and psychologist intervene.
On the ground floor, a first room welcomes the little ones, from three years old. On one side sits a real puppet theater. A very useful tool “to illustrate everyday cases,” emphasizes Corinne Colmel. First, we encourage them to communicate when they are not feeling well, especially when they are hypoglycemic.”
Make meals “a moment of pleasure”
For older children (accompanied up to 18 years old), workshops are organized in a large educational kitchencalled… Ratatouille! Because when you suffer from diabetes, meals can become a real headache. “Here, the goal is to make it a moment of pleasure, not care. »
The disease requires measuring the level of carbohydrates on your plateand adjust it according to the insulin needed. Quite a mental calculation! “The children are champions of the rule of three,” smiles the director. We also teach them to take a good look at their pump so that they can then be completely independent.”
Training for healthcare professionals
At the Diabetes House, it’s not just the children who learn. Health professionals also come to be trained, in particular “to avoid confusion in the discourse between type 1 and type 2 diabetes”.
The association also organizes sports trips and works in schools, particularly in canteens.
Will the model be able to inspire? Just as there is a Diabetes Center in Toulouse, “we could imagine similar structures to take care of other diseases, such as asthma for example,” concludes Corinne Colmel.
Practical information
Child Diabetes House, 109, avenue des Arènes romaines in Toulouse.
Contact au 05 36 85 00 20.
Membership at €20 per year.
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