When Your Sibling Has Type 1 Diabetes
Mattie Peck, Former CDF Staffer and a T1D • October 28, 2015
TL;DR
When a child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, siblings experience the journey too. This heartfelt story shares the perspective of two sisters navigating fear, uncertainty, and change after their younger brother's diagnosis. Over time, those challenges evolved into empathy, support, and a deeper appreciation for resilience. The article highlights the often-overlooked experiences of siblings and the important role they play in a family's diabetes journey.
Click here to read last week’s related blog post.
How a Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis Affects the Entire Family
When your sibling is a diabetic, there are two choices. Are you going to point out their differences and difficulties or are you going to support him? Parker Zarecki is lucky because he has two sisters that made the right choice. Sierra and Brooke are always looking out for Parker and supporting him in every way possible. After reading their story, I think you’ll agree that Parker hit the sibling jackpot…
When Parker was first diagnosed with diabetes, Sierra, now 10 years old, remembers being confused and not entirely understanding what was happening. At the time, they were on vacation in Wisconsin and things aren’t supposed to go wrong on vacation.
Watching Everyday Life Change
But since the diagnosis, they have gone out of their way to support Parker. Brooke, like your normal 13 year old, doesn’t like needles or shots. But she watched Parker take them when he was on multiple daily injections for a year before moving on to site changes for his pump and Continuous Glucose Monitor. Beyond watching, both girls learned to give Parker shots too. Sierra mentioned that she does this so she will be prepared in case of an emergency.
Watching Parker go through all of this is what made Brooke realize that her brother was incredibly brave. The girls noticed that sometimes it looks like the needles hurt, but Parker champions through it all.
Finding Ways to Support a Sibling with Diabetes
Beyond needles, the girls have learned an incredible amount about diabetes. Sierra remembers going to have a snack with Parker shortly after he was diagnosed and thinking that the serving size was ridiculous. Who eats 8 pretzels? Newly diagnosed diabetics and their supportive sisters, that’s who. Brooke
counts carbohydrates with Parker too. They’ll measure out their food and determine the proper dosage (with parental help, of course). The girls have even set guidelines when their friends are over that if Parker can’t eat something, they won’t either.
More Than Diabetes: Seeing the Person Behind the Diagnosis
Their support keeps Parker from feeling like he’s “different” due to something he can’t control. In the beginning, it was hard for Brooke and Sierra to watch Parker go through this. Brooke said she just wanted to take the pain away for him. But the best they can do is support their brother in any way possible, which they have done a fantastic job of. What’s the biggest downfall of having a diabetic brother? His insulin pump beeps all the time. But if that’s the worst part, I think they’ll be okay. The support these two girls have for their brother is incredible to see. Thanks to their help, Parker isn’t an outcast because of his diabetes. He is just their brother, diabetes or not.
