Couple raise £13k after son's 'shock' diagnosis

Thomas, three, was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes just before his second birthday

A couple have raised more than £13,000 after their son received a "shock" type-1 diabetes diagnosis just before his second birthday.

Somerset-based racehorse trainers Joe and Rachel say their son Thomas was diagnosed in October and, at the start of his treatment, they had been doing up to eight injections before meals.

Almost one year on, they have managed to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Limited by opening their stables in Milborne Port for a charity open day.

Rachel said about 500 people came to see the horse parade and take part in raffles. "It was a brilliant success. "We're absolutely blown away by everyone's help and support."

"Thankfully, we caught it early, at the time it was very scary," she said.

"When they're so young it's hard to know if it's just a phase or if there's actually a problem.

"We didn't have it in our family apart from Joe's cousin. It was a real shock to us and a lot for us to get our heads around."

Rachel says for the first six months of his treatment, Thomas needed eight injections before meals

Rachel also explained how "unpleasant" it had been having to replace diabetes sensors on a child who is not old enough to understand that you are trying to help them.

She said Thomas now wore a sensor on his arm as well as "a little pod, which means we don't have to do injections, but we have to change it every three days and it's not pleasant".

Rachel and Joe planned a charity open day at their stables, where they train race horses

She added: "Especially for someone so little - when he turns around and says 'mummy don't hurt me', you do it to help them but where he's so young he doesn't understand still.

"It is really tough."

The couple has since raised more than £13,000 for charity

Type-1 diabetes is a disorder in which the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin and is characterised by uncontrolled high blood glucose levels, which can be controlled by injecting insulin.

There are about 35,000 children and young people under 18 in England and Wales being treated for diabetes, according to the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit.