A Mother Discovers her Strength after her Son falls ill

During the winter of 2023, Carter, the then four-year-old son of Carmen Tak, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This life-threatening experience completely transformed their lives.

As her son was set to start grade R in January 2024, Carmen wondered how he would survive the education system with such a serious condition they were still attempting to manage.

Carmen explains: “I decided to pursue starting a preschool for children with type 1 diabetes and other special needs.” As she embarked on the journey to establish a fully functioning preschool, Carmen decided to add another dimension to her mission. She reached out to local schools to offer training and educational workshops aimed at raising awareness among educators and students about diabetes and how to care for those who have been diagnosed with the condition.

On 26 February 2025, Carmen visited Olympia Primary in Bloemfontein, where she facilitated an informative workshop. Carmen will continue to work closely with the school since they also have a diabetic grade 5 student.

A Mother’s love for her dearest son can inspire an entire community. This can surely be seen and felt as Carmen continues to show real bravery and resilience stepping up as a positive role model and teaching her son how to be strong in moments of uncertainty.

What is Type 1 Diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body's immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Without insulin, blood sugar builds up in the bloodstream, which can damage organs. 

Symptoms 

• Frequent urination, especially at night

• Abnormal thirst

• Blurred vision

• Nausea and vomiting

• Excessive hunger

• Unexplained weight loss

• Fatigue

• Slow healing of cuts and sores

Treatment 

• Daily insulin injections or use of a pump that continuously delivers insulin

• Regular blood sugar checks

Complications 

• Eye problems, including cataracts and blindness

• Foot and skin infections

• Nerve damage, which can cause pain, tingling, numbness, and difficulty digesting food

• Kidney damage, which can lead to kidney failure

Risk factors 

• Genes and environmental factors may trigger the immune system to destroy the insulin-producing cells

Prevention 

• There is currently no way to prevent type 1 diabetes, but research is ongoing to find treatments that may slow the development of the disease

Diagnosis 

• Blood tests, including a random plasma glucose test and an A1C test, can help diagnose type 1 diabetes