Two-year-old Felix Ross injected 10 times a day following diabetes diagnosis

A Sunshine Coast family is pleading with for government funded insulin pumps after watching their sick little boy held down and given lifesaving injections up to 10 times a day while fighting a deadly autoimmune disease.

Felix, Cody, and Sam Ross. Picture - contributed.

A Queensland family is pleading with for the government to reconsider funding insulin pumps for diabetics after being forced to pay tens of thousands to help their little boy.

Felix Ross, who turns two next week, was held down, screaming and crying, up to 10 times a day, for needles after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Parents Cody and Ellissa Ross, of Castaways Beach, have been struggling to come to terms with their new life after two weeks in hospital.

Cody, a software company worker, 35, and Ellissa, 33, a retail worker, have been together for more than 10 years.

They had Felix almost two years ago and Ellissa is now pregnant with their second child.

“He’s always been a perfectly healthy and happy baby boy,” Cody said.

Until two weeks ago, on May 13, when Felix woke up with an eye infection.

“We’d both been a little sick and under the weather so I worked from home then took him to the doctors,” he said.

“I’d also noticed he’s been drinking a lot more water than usual.”

Felix Ross has been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Picture - contributed.

After running some tests they found traces of glucose in Felix’s urine and he was sent to the Queensland Children’s Hospital where he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes immediately.

“I knew something was very wrong when they rushed us to the front of the emergency line in front of lots of kids who looked much worse off than him.”

The family has been left heartbroken, shocked, and devastated by the diagnosis.

Cody said he’d never forget watching on helplessly as medical staff strapped his screaming, crying son down for his needles and injections.

“Watching four nurses hold him down as he screams and cries isn’t easy as a parent,”Cody said.

“He’s so young he doesn’t understand or know what’s going on.

“In his mind we’re all just hurting him over and over again. Eight to 10 times a day. He’s never going to trust a nurse or doctor again.”

Despite type 1 diabetes being a prevalent auto-immune disease in Australia, it is incredibly rare for children under six to be diagnosed as it usually triggers later in life.

“None of it is government subsidised and we don’t have private health insurance.”

It’s costs about $17,000 a year to keep a child with type 1 diabetes alive. Up to $90k by the time they’re 18 if diagnosed young.

Treating type 1 diabetes is complicated for anyone - involving counting carbs and managing glucose and insulin levels.

The only way around the daily blood pricks, needles, and injections is an insulin pump. The bluetooth device fits to his wrist, connects to a pump filled with insulin, which Felix will need to wear for the remainder of his life.

“Only two hospitals in all of Australia have them and the government won’t fund putting them in others.”

Felix Ross with his dog and best friend Sam. Picture - contributed.

Finally home, with an insulin pump on loan Felix has started to come back to life.

“He’s usually a super happy and bubbly kid,” Cody said.

“Always smiling and running around. He doesn’t like being inside and just loves playing outside with our golden retriever (Sam).

“This made being in hospital even more difficult. It was awful watching how much it changed him.

“But we’ve been home one night and a day and he had a big sleep and has been giggling and playing again.

Mr Ross said the heartbreak of being the parent of a sick child was like nothing he’d ever experienced.

“Nurses, doctors, and so many parents are pleading for help from the government. We need the insulin pumps readily available and government funding for it.

“It’s going to be a lifelong fight.”

You can support the family here.