BUTTE — Childhood diabetes can be a serious condition that can greatly disrupt the life of a child and a Butte girl recently became one of the first in the state to receive a new kind of treatment that can delay the onset of diabetes and, more importantly, allow her to be a child.
“Her blood sugars have gone down into normal ranges, she is no longer angry all the time, she’s got her energy back up, running and playing like a normal eight-year-old,” said Allison’s mother Sara Weldon.
Type 1 diabetes ran in her family, making Allison at risk. Her blood sugar levels elevated her to pre-diabetic, and she had symptoms including increased thirst and hunger, which made her angry.
“It is heartbreaking watching because there was nothing I could do to help her in those situations,” said Weldon.
Allison’s pediatrician at St. James HealthCare in Butte got her on a new treatment program at St. Vincent Regional Hospital in Billings called TZIELD.
“I think we were able to overall give Allison what she needed in terms of lab monitoring, getting her to the right specialist and ultimately getting her that treatment in time to make a difference for her,” said Dr. Collette Chorney.
In Billings, Allison underwent the 14-day treatment and positive results were almost immediate.
“She did wonderful. I noticed on day five that things were changing for the better. Mom reports her energy’s back, she’s been feeling well, not thirsty,” said the nursing educator at the Billings clinic, Ashley Galt.
Though not a cure, the treatment shows promise in delaying type one diabetes in children.
“It actually gives her another couple years at least, hopefully, to be a kid. And her life is much more enjoyable than it was two months ago,” said Weldon.
