Childhood Diabetes - A forgotten Illness

It was in 1996 I worked for the college in South Africa and was the Personal Assistant to the two directors of the college. It was a very stressful career for me as I was overworked and under a lot of pressure to meet the demands of the college and my directors. Needless to say I took on the challenge head on.

It was during the busiest period that I used to get a phone call everyday from a woman, asking for a vacancy. Everyday I turned her down . It went on for two weeks that she would call and I would say NO Vacancy.  Eventually I got fedup and asked my director to at least see this person. My boss relented and said to call her for an interview.

So it was that I made the call to this lady and asked her to come the next day for an interview.  She was so thrilled to hear from me shhe screamed in joy and said she would come the next day.

The next morning at 9.30am in walked a lovely young blond, slim and shy looking young lady. She introduced herself as Karen Lisa Hamilton Smith. To cut the long story short. I introduced Karen to my boss and in she went looking very nervous. It was not even twenty minutes when the interview was over and Karen went hurrying out the door.  My boss shook her head and said to me"definately Not" she is not suited for the job. I begged my boss to give her a chance and employ her as my assistant, even I offered to have my wages cut so it was arranged for Karen to be my assistant.

Karen came in the next day with a huge bunch of flowers for me and became my Assistant and thus our friendship grew into best friends.

After a few days of being my assistant ,Karen confided in me that I was her first friend who accepted her wholeheartedly. You see Karen was very ill, She was going bald, losing her teeth and losing lots of weight, Back then not much was known about childhood diabetes. 

I showered Karen with all my love and remained her best friend till she passed on. Karen started becoming worse day by day she was fading away, the illness was eating her , she used to go into a coma quite often and the nanny would call me and tell me that Karen was airlifted to hospital on many occassions. I used to leave work and hurry to her bedside and talk to her for hours.  Our friendship needed no words , it was felt in the heart and soul. 

It was the final coma that Karen didnt wake up for a week, and doctors said "  She would be a vegetable" if she survives this time.  With tears streaming down my face , I knelt in prayer everyday by Karen's bedside at the hospital, talking, crying,laughing and praying that Karen was able to hear me.

A week went by and the doctors discharged Karen saying there was nothing they could do for her. And guess what ? Karen opened her eyes when she arrived back home, and she asked the nanny for a paper and pen, with the message to me. She said " tell Tracey to listen to Celine Dion song- Because you loved me" it will give her all the answers as to how much Tracey meant to me"   And she asked that I ready her a poem at her funeral. With that messgae Karen closed her eyes for the last time. I got there an hour later and my best friend was gone forever.. Karen donated her body to medical science to find the cure for childhood Diabetes. There is a Plaque at the Local church which bears her name so that I could pay my respects when I am in South Africa. 

Karen inspird me so much and it is because of her and so many other that I loved and lost that I do the work I do . I carry on day in and day out fulfilling my darling friend's wishes. TO Bring a Smile to every sick person.

I have lost Karen at the age of 25 to Diabetes, my cousin Oliver at 14 to bone cancer, my other firend Shireen 23 years to Anorexia. There are so many childhood diseases that goes unnoticed and not much is known about it. So this is my purpose and mission is to spread awareness.