Michelle Winckle raising diabetes awareness

A Geelong real estate agent and mum of five was unconscious for nearly three hours when her neighbour smashed her car windscreen to save her life.

Real estate agent Michelle Winckle on her property in Gherang. Picture: Brad Fleet

A well-known Geelong real estate agent says a brief conversation with her neighbour may have saved her life.

Michelle Winckle’s neighbour smashed her windscreen when he found her unconscious in her car near her Gherang home late on aweekday afternoonin mid-November.

The mother of five kids, ranging in age from one to 22, and director and co-owner of real estate agency Hayeswinckle was diagnosed with type one diabetes about eight years ago.

She had experienced gestational diabetes throughout pregnancies and after the birth of her fourth child Ms Winckle was told she had type one diabetes.

Ms Winckle’s eldest child also has type one diabetes and was diagnosed when he was just one.

The 44-year-old described managing her diabetes as “everything”, with her regimen including frequently checking her blood sugar monitor and maintaining a strict diet based on counting carbohydrates.

Michelle Winckle with son Max. Picture: Brad Fleet

“Every time I have something to eat, if I don’t type that in my insulin pump it affects my insulin levels,” she said.

In mid-November Ms Winckle experienced a terrifying potential near-death experience due to her condition.

She had just been minutes from her Gherang home putting a sold sticker up on a property.

On the way home she didn’t feel right and pulled over — she believes with the intention of having some sugar.

Almost three hours later she woke up in the car — cold and “drenched” in sweat — with her husband and several other people surrounding her.

“I just remember people running around and a lady sitting in the front seat telling me to have sugar,” she said.

“I had no idea what time or day it was.”

Ms Winckle had experienced severe hypoglycaemia.

Hypoglycaemia is the medical term for low blood sugar.

During severe hypoglycaemia, diabetics may lose consciousness, and other symptoms can include trouble speaking and vision issues.

A few months before the incident Ms Winckle had explained to her neighbour that she had diabetes, as they live in a remote area.

Armed with this knowledge, when the neighbour saw Ms Winckle pulled over in a “weird” spot he bashed on car the window but she did not react, even though her eyes were open.

He witnessed her froth at the mouth, and smashed her rear windscreen to enter the locked car.

The neighbour called Ms Winckle’s husband who brought down a glucagon injection kit.

“After they gave me the needle it took me quite a long time to come back,” Ms Winckle said.

“Losing two or three hours and potentially realising I might not have been here If someone hadn’t have stopped — it’s really hard to process.”

Hypoglycaemia can be caused by a range of factors including too much exercise.

Prior to leaving the house before the incident Ms Winckle said she had checked her blood sugar which was not at levels of concern.

It had somehow dropped “incredibly low” quickly in the lead-up to her passing out, she said.

The Type 1 Foundation board member said she had also experienced a severe hypoglycaemic episode in June after breastfeeding, which was “terrifying”, but described the car incident as her “worst ever”.

Severe hypoglycaemia can be deadly.

“Unfortunately people walked passed and thought I was just sitting in the car … if someone’s in a weird location it’s better to just knock on the window,” Ms Winckle said.

“I don’t think people understand how close diabetics can come to dying.

“A lot of people don’t realise it’s deadly.”

Originally published as Michelle Winckle raising diabetes awareness