Children had plenty of questions for eight-year-old Conor Monk when he gave a slideshow and talk about his diabetes at Richmond School’s annual toy sale which raises funds for Diabetes Nelson.
This year, he has been wearing a diabetic sensor paired with an insulin pump that he carries in a pouch around his waist, delivering insulin automatically when he needs it. It’s a big improvement on the injections he used to have, which could be painful and were sometimes given with “cold hands!”
At just eight, Conor already knows all about carbohydrates, blood sugar and what different food contains. Now his fellow students know a little more as well after his presentation to nearly 180 of them. They questioned whether diabetes was scary; what happens when his sugar levels go high or low, and if Type 1 diabetes can be cured.
“My legs definitely get sore when I go low, so I can’t walk far,” he says. “And sometimes when I get high, I have to run it out and drink water.”
Associate principal Glenna Armstrong says staff “always have Conor on our minds because you can’t spring a surprise class party on him”.
At the toy sale, Conor was making purchases, and he had one toy high on his list – a Halloween tray.
“Funny story,” he says. “When my parents donated something I didn’t want to donate (the tray), I bought it back!”
The school has 515 students who donated all sorts for the toy sale, which was organised and run by the student council. Toys were sold for $1 each and the end result was more than $1,200 to donate to Diabetes Nelson.
Student council president, Laura Miller, 11, and vice president, Emmy Canning, 11, say the toy sale was a good opportunity for students to handle cash, and at $1 an item, could make their own choices.
“People were giving money to friends who didn’t have money or didn’t bring money,” Emmy says.
At the end, just two boxes of toys and games remained, which were given away.
