Three-year-old Priya and her parents Chet and Kimmie have had a rollercoaster of a year. It's one they never saw coming, and one they’ll certainly never forget.
Throughout last winter Priya was frequently unwell, with bouts of croup, RSV and bronchitis seemingly one after the other. When she was also diagnosed with sleep apnea, her GP recommended she have her tonsils and adenoids removed to help open up her airways.
While Priya was recovering from her operation, her health took an unexpected turn for the worse.
She began rapidly wetting through her nappies, vomiting frequently, drinking constantly, and was very lethargic.
"For the first few days we just put all these symptoms down to her recovery and just did what we could to keep her comfortable," remembers mum Kimmie.
But Priya's health took yet another turn for the worse. Her lethargy increased and she began to refuse food. When Kimmie found Priya lying in the middle of the floor, she knew immediately something was very wrong, and rushed her straight to the emergency room.
Initially doctors assumed she must have developed an infection from her operation, but when a nurse took Priya’s blood glucose levels as a precaution it became clear the situation was urgent.
"Suddenly the nurse started asking me if there were any diabetics in the family. She said Priya's blood glucose levels and the ketones in her blood were dangerously high, but at the time I had absolutely no idea what that meant," says Kimmie.
Within minutes we were rushed into the ICU where Kimmie was told Priya was in diabetic ketoacidosis - a life threatening side effect of Type 1 diabetes.
"I was told she has type 1 diabetes and was very unwell. At that point I asked if she could die and was told quite gently, that yes she could. The doctors and nurses were absolute angels and spent 12 hours working on Priya and giving her continuous insulin until her levels came back down to a manageable level," recalls Kimmie.
Priya and Kimmie would spend the next five days in hospital while Priya recovered, and Chet and Kimmie received an intensive crash course in diabetes management.
As soon as Priya had awoken from her ordeal, Captain Starlight stopped by her room to help bring a smile to her face. At their first meeting Captain Starlight brought Priya some activities to keep her entertained, danced and blew bubbles for her and even organised to play her favourite movie, Encanto on Starlight TV.
Once Priya was able to leave the ward, she would visit the Starlight Express Room twice every day to sing, dance and play. Priya loved to introduce her family to the Captains, and invited her big brother Oliver, as well as her Aunty and Grandma to join in the fun.
"Having this little sanctuary away from her hospital room was such a blessing," says Kimmie. "She could go and play and be a kid and there was no talk of diabetes or doctors. Oliver also loved playing video games with the Captains. Priya still regularly talks about the Starlight room and is always looking forward to her next visit."
The transition to managing life with diabetes has been tricky for the family. Getting used to four needles and at least 10 finger pricks per day was hugely traumatic for Priya, and having to stick to a strict diet was the source of lots of tears and tantrums!
For eight year old Oliver, the shift in family dynamic was also very difficult with Priya suddenly needing the lion's share of attention.
And for Chet and Kimmie, life as they knew it was turned completely on its head.
Suddenly, they were thrust back into a world of sleepless nights as Priya requires constant monitoring throughout the night. The constant worry of managing Priya's condition and working full time on very little sleep has taken its toll on both of them.
The whole family looks forward to when Priya is able to go back to kindergarten, and to the ballet and swimming lessons she is longing to start.
For now however, they are thankful to have their little girl with them after their terrible ordeal, and receiving such great care.
With every check-up and visit Priya has to attend at the hospital, she always stops into the Starlight Express Room for a healthy dose of fun and laughter.
Kimmie and Chet know first-hand how important Starlight's supporters are in bringing light into the lives of families at the darkest of times, and wish to send a big thank-you;
"Starlight gave us a breath of fresh air during the hardest days of our life. We would like to thank the donors from the bottom of our hearts for the happiness they put on our baby girls face when she was so sick."
