Written by Natasja Derry Definition of Diabetes: Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose in the blood because the body cannot use it properly and the glucose builds up in the blood. If the glucose level is monitored poorly, the patient can experience a hypoglycaemia which can lead to death. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children or young adults, starting suddenly and getting worse quickly. My name is Natasja Derry and I’m studying Design Management at University of the Arts London. In August 2021, I moved to Copenhagen to start my placement year as I was eager to transform those theoretical ideas from the classroom into practice, and so far, it’s been the most influential, educative year I’ve experienced. As a Design Manager and student at UAL, we are encouraged to have a human-centered approach to our work and to create something with a positive impact to our society. This year, I’ve focused on improving my skills in film production and I hope to incorporate the UAL mindset through this media. It’s an area which I haven’t explored in my course, however as a DPS student and a TV broadcasting intern, I’ve been able to explore a new media and since realised that it’s an area I’m passionate about. My self-initiated project I’ve decided to create a short documentary film putting focus on the challenges and stress Type 1 Diabetic children and their parents live with on a daily basis. I wish to portray how medical alert dogs can help reduce those challenges significantly. Living with diabetes means a constant 24 hrs alert on the balance of food, exercise and injected insulin inside the body of a diabetic, therefore the theme of the film is about how the medical alert dogs help the diabetic keep the balance between life or death. I wish to focus the film on following how man’s best friend also becomes his number one protector . For my SIP project, I will be producing a trailer/pitch and then the goal is to finish the film throughout my final year of study in 2022/2023. My interest behind the project Jessica Walsh, creative director at Walsh, believes that the best concepts for self-initiated projects start with the question ‘Why?!’ and that pain, anger and frustration is where the best ideas are born. From a personal incentive, I’m producing this film for my brother, Alexander, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 12. I’ve seen how he’s struggled with diabetes growing up and how it affected my parents – this is their first born and while they were learning how to be parents, they were also learning how to control a life-threatening condition. Why is this film important? Cost on NHS In 2014, Diabetes UK estimated the cost of treating diabetes year and its complications would rise to £17 billion by 2035, however the NHS is already spending a total of approximately £14 billion pounds a year. That’s 10% of the NHS budget for England and Wales (Diabetes, 2022). For type 1 diabetes, the problem lies with poor monitoring of blood glucose levels and education. Type 1 diabetics need to know their blood glucose level so they can adjust their treatment accordingly, and in failure to do so, can lead to short-term complications such as potentially fatal diabetic ketoacidosis and hypoglycaemia. In the long term, high blood glucose levels can lead to serious and expensive complications such as retinopathy and kidney disease. There’s still a cost associated with training diabetic alert dogs; however, it would help monitor the patients’ levels and therefore decrease the costs of treating the complications. Ethnic problem The National Paediatric Diabetes Audit showed children from Black, Asian and mixed ethnic backgrounds have less access to diabetes technology (such as continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps) compared to white children. Studies have also shown Black people were 50% less likely than white individuals to be prescribed newer medications that are used to lower blood sugar (Bloomer, A. 2019). I’m intrigued to ask Hypo Hounds, the organisation I’m working with for my SIP, what they are doing in response to this issue and how their selection process is designed.
My hope is to create a piece of work which leaves a positive impact on our society - whether that's supporting the NHS and increasing funding for charities such as Hypo Hounds, or even just educating society on what diabetes is and the impact a diabetic alert dog can have on a patient's life. Reference list
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February 2023
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