Did you know that diabetes and its complications is now the ninth leading cause of death for women globally?

Gestational Diabetes Melitus (GDM) is also on the rise, affecting nearly one in every seven pregnancies. More than 100 Australian women are diagnosed with GDM every day and there are currently 38,000 managing the condition during their pregnancy.

This info is from Diabetes NSW who is using today (World Diabetes Day) to pay tribute to all women and girls who live with diabetes.

“There are currently 600,281 Australian women and girls living with diabetes and more than 207,000 live in NSW and the ACT. That is a significant number of women dealing with the challenges of diabetes every day.” CEO of Diabetes NSW & ACT Sturt Eastwood said.

Maria Dent is a registered nurse and mother who cares for three daughters aged from 8 – 15, who all live with type 1 diabetes.

“To say the diagnosis was a shock is an understatement. Our whole world changed the very instant I was told they all had type 1 diabetes. The first 12 months following their diagnosis was extremely intense. I could never have imagined the level of daily care my girls required, from the regular injections to the constant monitoring,” Maria said.

Inspired by her daughters’ positive attitudes, Maria has become a true advocate for type 1 diabetes.

“This has been a challenging journey for us all, but I have learnt the importance of resilience and never giving up hope. And through undertaking studies next year in the field of Diabetes Management I hope to further educate myself and others,” said Maria.

If you are looking for information or support in managing your diabetes, call 1300 342 238 or visit http://diabetesnsw.com.au/.