Rachel Isabelle Victoria, Age 20
Photo is for illustration purpose only.
For close to a decade, housewife Orchard Yvonne Madilene, 55, has been giving her youngest daughter insulin injections up to five times a day. These injections are necessary as she has Type 1 diabetes, a condition where one’s body is unable to produce insulin, a hormone needed to regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.
Rachel Isabelle Victoria, 20, was diagnosed with the condition when she was nine, months after she was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) It was a steep learning curve for Mdm Orchard, who panicked in the early days when she had to give Rachel the injections, which also made the girl cry incessantly. After witnessing Rachel fainting from episodes of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, Madam Orchard even stayed up at night to check on Rachel every other hour, afraid that she would not wake up.
To help Rachel watch her diet, her three elder siblings waited until she fell asleep before they indulged in snacks like ice cream, soft drinks and cup noodles. But Rachel was resentful whenever she caught them enjoying these foods. It took several counselling sessions with Club Rainbow's Pauline before Rachel finally accepted her medical conditions and learned to count her blessings.
Rachel said: "I realized that there are many children who are worse off than me. I still have my limbs and am able to do a lot of things independently." As a result of her diarrhea-predominant IBD, Rachel sometimes skipped school for up to three months at a stretch. She would study on her own and complete the homework her eldest sister Renuka collected on her behalf from Bowen Secondary School.
Still, she did well enough to top her cohort in Tamil language at the "N" levels in 2016. Through it all, Rachel kept active by dancing, funding her lessons on Indian dance and hip-hop through the Talent Development Fund disbursed by Club Rainbow. Mdm Orchard recalled watching Rachel dance at home even on days when she felt unwell. She said in amusement: "People are usually lying down when they are sick, but not Rachel. She loves to do a lot of things, that's why I am proud of her."
The family has also received financial assistance from Club Rainbow from 2009 to 2015, which helped cover the costs of their groceries, utilities and bus rides to the National University Hospital, where both Mdm Orchard and Rachel have their medical appointments. Rachel is now able to give herself the insulin injections. She will be pursuing her diploma in sport and exercise science at Republic Polytechnic next year.
Article by : Joan Chew