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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk. With Aviva Insurance.
Now, there's great hope, treatment and care for children who are facing a serious illness. But what are the long term effects of that experience on a child as they move into adult life? Well, joining me now to discuss this is John Mitchell from Barrettstown and 19 year old Kayla Nolan. You're both welcome. Thank you for coming in today.
So, John, this is new, is it, for Barrettstown to help children who have had this experience as a child deal with the fallout into adulthood?
Yeah, the young adult program is a relatively new program.
Chapter 2: What long-term effects do serious illnesses have on children as they transition to adulthood?
It's been going for a couple of years. But I mean, we were traditionally set up to work with children with childhood cancer back in 1994. And our program offering has evolved over the last 30 years into an awful lot more community based programs that we run, whether it's hospital outreach or school education programs.
But it was just coming out of the COVID pandemic when we started actually looking at that young adult age cohort. So 18 to 24 years. Because a diagnosis in around that time is a hugely disruptive thing. It's hugely disruptive at any time of your life. But, you know, at that age, it can have massive knock-on effects as well.
And even for children that get their diagnosis at an early age, there are now late-term or long-term effects that we're seeing coming out of that as well. And so we felt it was important that we were able to create a programme that meets some of those psychosocial needs that young people have as they're managing that transition out of illness as well.
OK, and we'll talk about that programme in a minute. But Cale, I want to find out a little bit about you. So tell me how you came in contact with Barrett's Tech.
So I've been involved with Barrett's Tech for 10 years now. It's been a long time coming and I just I loved every second of it. Honestly, like I say to anyone who listens to me, that's my favourite place in the world. And that's why I was so glad that I was able to get involved again with the Young Adult Programme.
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Chapter 3: How does Barrettstown support young adults who faced childhood illnesses?
So you were about nine or 10? then when you first came into contact?
I'd been diagnosed when I was eight years old back in 2015 so it's been a long time since I've been in Barrettstown and I feel like it's really helped me come back on into myself because I feel like since my diagnosis I really was a shell of myself I really was and I didn't really know where to go with it I didn't know anyone who was like me because I was living in a small village in Dunderry in County Meath so it's like literally out in the middle of nowhere and I didn't know anyone who was like me.
So tell us a little bit about your diagnosis and what was going on with you at that time.
So I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2015. I had no symptoms at all when I was diagnosed. So I just ended up in intensive care and everything. And I was told I wasn't going to make it. I was very lucky now. I did actually survive it all. But going back to normal life then after that, like it was crazy. It was so surreal.
And no one really understood what I'd been through and the effects that I continued to have on me. And I had other kind of diagnosis come along at the same time because diabetes goes hand in hand with a lot of conditions. But my whole life was just changed. I was trying to get back into normal.
Your life, your school life, your life with your friends, all very disrupted, was it?
Yeah, that's what I feel like a lot of kids, like illnesses when they're younger, will say like their friends don't really understand what they're going through. And you're like, you lose a lot of friendships, you lose a lot of people through your diagnosis, just because it's a big thing that a lot of people don't really understand.
But that's one thing coming to camp, people all kind of get what you're going through. It doesn't really matter like what's necessarily wrong with you, but everyone has a group kind of understanding of what it's like to be sick.
different so you then have found a link back to the place where you felt happy and comfortable as a child that's it's amazing like I loved it when I was younger and I love it just as much going back and it's actually amazing that I was in camp I think it was 2021 or 2022 with one of my best friends Mia and we actually reconnected through the young adult program that's what I texted her I was like we have to go to this together we ended up actually being roommates on the young adult program we had the best time reconnecting a double win
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Chapter 4: What personal experiences does Kaela share about her time at Barrettstown?
And I think when you step into that 18 to 24 year old group as well, you start to take ownership more of your own health care plan as well, you know.
So it's a huge amount to be dealing with. So you have to know exactly what you have to do and maybe the wild night can't be as wild for you, Kayla, because you have to remember what it's going to feel like the next day.
Yeah, I'm always monitoring everything, yeah. But it's funny that you mentioned about sleeping away and everything. My first time staying away because of all my issues, like I was never on sleepovers when I was younger. Everyone was always so hesitant to take me because they'd be like, oh, we don't know what'll happen to her over the night.
Like my first time staying away was in Barrettstown and that's what the nurse would come in to check our blood sugars and the night with the little headlamp on because I love to check our blood sugars and everything.
And you were delighted to see her and also the novelty of being away from home.
Yeah but it was amazing because that's what all the diabetics said like oh we don't get to go on sleepovers because things can go so wrong so quickly during the night time especially for diabetics so that's what the nurse coming in checking your blood sugar is that you know you're safe and you kind of get a laugh as well just coming in in a rain jacket and the high vis with the headlamp on like it's funny.
Well listen it's lovely to see you and it's great to see you so well and I'm delighted that Barristown have maintained the link to you and John thank you for coming in we always love speaking to Barristown here on the programme.
The Clare Byrne Show with Aviva Insurance. Weekday mornings at 9 on Newstalk. Conversation that counts.
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