When Gerry Tan (not her real name) first learnt that her daughter, Gemma, then nine, had type 1 diabetes, she was in shock. She tells DMLife that family support and peer support must go hand in hand.

Two years ago, we found a trail of ants in the toilet. We weren't sure if it was my son or daughter but we suspected it was Gemma, now 11. She had been losing weight and we thought it was because she had grown taller and therefore looked thinner.

The GP we took Gemma to responded quickly and recommended that she be admitted for tests. Our daughter was in hospital for three days. We were shocked to discover that she had type 1 diabetes. We had no idea what the condition was, what it meant and how we were going to cope.

We started reading up to find out more and learnt much through the sharing by other parents whose children have the same medical condition. Helping my daughter to understand that her medical condition is through no fault of hers or anybody's and how to manage her food intake is most important. School for our daughter is as normal as for the other kids. She continues to participate in Physical Education and Co-Curricular Activities as exercising would give her better control over her blood sugar level.

Gemma has been very brave from day one - the jabs, the blood sugar monitoring - she did them personally under our proactive supervision. Although she understands her condition, refraining from her favourite food - cakes, chocolates and ice-cream - has not been easy. In fact, she looked forward to having "hypos" (low blood sugar level) so that she could eat her favourite food in a "rescue mission" (boosting the blood sugar level through taking high sugar-content food). Family support is crucial here: we would avoid buying and eating her favourite food or would tell our son to avoid eating such "forbidden" food in her presence. The positive outcome of it all is that the whole family is now eating more healthily.

Communication is vital in any family situation such as this, as well as lots of encouragement. It is not just Gemma's condition. It really is a family affair.

Apart from family support, peer support is equally important. She felt much better after getting to know others who also have type I diabetes at Touch Diabetes' regular sessions and their educational camps. Gemma knows she is not alone and that, through good management of her medical condition, she can lead a normal and active life just like any other kid.