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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

9 September 2013 | Colorado Springs, Colorado

Stacey Smith-Bradfield and Dayna Frei

Date Night possible again for parents of children with Type 1 diabetes

TYPE 1 DIABETES AND BABYSITTING:  A PARENT’S TOOLKIT

After the diagnosis of a child with Type 1 diabetes, the first weeks, even months, are filled with sleepless nights, insulin shots, blood sugar numbers, and a general feeling of being overwhelmed.  From day one, parents are taught to prepare for the worst case scenario:  a plummeting blood sugar resulting in seizures or even unconsciousness.  Once a family starts to venture out of their safe, structured environment, simple pleasures such as play dates, sleepovers and even an evening out for parents seem like an insurmountable challenge.  As fellow parents of children with Type 1 diabetes, Stacey Smith-Bradfield and Dayna Frei have sought to ease the fears and frustrations of leaving children with a sitter, a nanny or even a friend.

“From a medical standpoint, you cannot gloss over the needs of a child with Type 1 diabetes.  In writing Type 1 Diabetes and Babysitting:  A Parent’s Workbook, we knew we had to cover so many critical topics,” says Smith-Bradfield, an Advanced Practice nurse.  Co-author Frei adds, “Not only is this a teaching tool for the parent, but we had to consider caregivers who might not have any knowledge of diabetes.”  The workbook walks a parent through teaching sitters about day-to-day care, as well as emergency situations, and includes places to completely tailor the pages to their child’s needs.  Additionally, Smith-Bradfield and Frei have added pull-out pages, with sections such as “Dinner and a Movie” and “Sleepovers” leaving the person in charge with the most important and likely needed information.

Julie Marmon, M.D. says, “This book provides parents a method to convey crucial data and not worry that important details have been glossed over. The step-by-step instructions and flow charts with areas to personalize, streamline care and remove fear from a situation which may be scary for sitters and family members. Great work!”

While there are hundreds of books on diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes and Babysitting: A Parent’s Toolkit is the first to simply teach the pertinent information, without overwhelming the teenager or adult caregiver.  For more information, please visit www.sciencehorse.com.

TYPE 1 DIABETES AND BABYSITTING:  A Parent’s Toolkit

By Stacey Smith-Bradfield and Dayna Frei

Science Horse Productions, LLC

P.O. Box 38879, Colorado Springs, CO  80937

ISBN:  978-0-615-86345-0

Price:  $15

CONTACT:      email sciencehorseproductions@gmail.com       phone 719.237.6631

Science you say…

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Dayna’s daughter brings the horse to our name, but science.  How does that fit together?  If you haven’t guessed my son is a scientist at heart.  Since he was very small he has been interested in all things with the hard sciences (physics, chemistry, mathematics).  As a preschooler Barney was boring, but give him The Science Channel and a show on dark matter and he was captivated!  While watching a fabulous show on outer space, he declared at three that he was going to fly planes, then fly to Mars.  For many years he dressed up as an astronaut and discussed ion propulsion (because that is the only way to get to Mars! Of course it is!).  His way in life was paved.  At 7 his dreams came crashing down.  His diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes and being informed that he will never be a commercial pilot, let alone a military pilot, devastated him.

But this intense interest in space and physics helped him understand what diabetes did to him and how his body reacts. He has explained Type 1 diabetes to his classrooms and friends and their parents better than I could ever (and I work in the medical field).  He gets his body.  Even with this he still had shattered dreams.  Where is Mars?  Well, he has decided diabetes won’t stop him from Mars.  He may just have to wait a while and have a cure.  Until then Quincy will solve the problem of Dark Matter and find the common ground between particle physics and quantum physics (because there must be a relationship humans don’t understand yet).

Type 1 has never slowed him down, but it has shaped his dreams.  One day science will rule and a cure will be found…until then we will balance all science, all the time with diabetes.

Between our two kids and the idea that date night does exist for T1 families, we can have a babysitter with help and training and a great sitter!  We developed Science Horse Productions.  If this book had existed when I went back to work, I would have bought it (trust me, I looked hard for one)!  But it did not.  And now it does.

Stacey