Colac toddler Luna Vesey’s fight after type 1 diabetes diagnosis

Two-year-old Luna Vesey was days away from dying before she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Two-year-old Luna Vesey from Colac was days away from dying before she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

The mum of a two-year-old girl who was days away from dying before she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is warning parents of the symptoms to look out for.

Colac’s Anndrea Kennedy said her daughter Luna Vesey was unwell for weeks before she was diagnosed.

Luna was breathing heavily, constantly thirsty and had blotchy skin.

Ms Kennedy took Luna to a doctor in Colac in late October but said her symptoms were dismissed as a virus.

“When we took her home, she only lasted a couple more days before she was nearly in an induced coma,” Ms Kennedy said.

“She was sleeping a lot, almost to the point where I couldn’t wake her up.

“She was complaining of headaches and tummy pains.”

On November 1, Ms Kennedy and her partner rushed Luna to the children’s emergency department at Geelong hospital.

Ms Kennedy told staff about Luna’s symptoms, who immediately checked her for type 1 diabetes.

Luna’s blood sugar level was in the high 30s, while the average person’s should be between four and six.

“The doctors said if I hadn’t brought her in, she would have gone into coma and I wouldn’t have been able to wake her up,” Ms Kennedy said.

“She was days away from dying.

“It was lucky we brought her to the hospital.”

Luna at the Geelong hospital after she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Picture: Supplied

Luna spent three days in intensive care before being transferred to another ward where she is still recovering in hospital.

“She has been through the wringer,” Ms Kennedy said.

“I was an emotional wreck, it was very overwhelming and challenging … to see Luna go through this.”

Ms Kennedy said it was both a relief and overwhelming when Luna was diagnosed.

“You never want your child to have diabetes but we know she is going to get better,” she said.

“Luna will still be able to do what she wants to do but when she gets older, we will have to educate her on managing (her diabetes) herself.

“For a while, it’s going to be me doing things for her.”

Luna playing Connect 4 while she recovers at the Geelong hospital. Picture: Supplied

Ms Kennedy urged parents to be on the look out for the “four Ts” of type 1 diabetes: thirst, tiredness, toilet and thinner.

“They are the main things to look out, it’s so important,” she said.

Luna has slowly been improving and is getting back to her “sassy little self”.

Ms Kennedy and her partner also just had another baby four months ago and they are driving between Geelong and Colac daily to care for both their children.

A Go Fund Me, titled ‘Miss Luna May’, has been set up to help the family cover bills and medical costs during this time.

Originally published as Colac toddler Luna Vesey’s fight after type 1 diabetes diagnosis