Trainee Paramedic Takes Part In Bupa Great North Run For Diabetes UK
Monday, 18 August, 2014
“Thanks to Diabetes UK, I’m pursuing my dream career as a paramedic despite having Type 1 diabetes.”
A trainee paramedic from Newcastle will run the Bupa Great North Run on 7 September for Diabetes UK, Bupa’s charity partner for the Great Run Series, after its campaign to change DVLA driving rules enabled her to continue in her dream job working for the London Ambulance Service.
Sarah Fawzi, 21, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in August 2013 after suffering from unexplained weight loss and blurred vision. She knew from her paramedic science studies at Hertfordshire University that they were some of the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes and a blood test at South Tyneside hospital, near her family home, confirmed her suspicions.
She said: “Initially I was very upset and overwhelmed by my diagnosis as I knew it would be totally life changing – I didn’t want to admit I had it. Working with the ambulance service we tend to see the worse side of diabetes so I was aware of the long term complications associated with diabetes, such as amputations, and that really scared me.”
Sarah then found out that the DVLA do not recommend driving blue light vehicles with Type 1 diabetes. She also had to relinquish her C1 driving licence which allowed her to drive ‘Group 2’ vehicles like ambulances and other vehicles of that size. As a result she had to cancel her contract as a student paramedic that was due to start in just two months’ time.
She said: “I was devastated as I am very enthusiastic about my career. I started to doubt my chances of ever becoming a paramedic.”
Sarah discovered from the Diabetes UK website that she could reapply for her licence if she could prove to the DVLA she controlled her diabetes well. After having an appointment with an independent diabetologist from the DVLA panel, where she had to show three months of blood glucose test results, her C1 licence was reinstated in December 2013. This was followed by an assessment and ongoing monitoring with the London Ambulance Service Occupational Health department at which she was deemed suitable for blue light driving. She finally started working for them in April 2014.
Sarah said: “It felt really good the day I got my driving licence back, especially as I had lost all hope when I was first diagnosed. Now I’ve realised I can still do what I want to do as long as I control my diabetes well, so I am running the Bupa Great North Run to prove to myself that I can do it despite having Type 1 diabetes.
“I am supporting Diabetes UK, as without its campaign to change DVLA driving rules, leading up to the law being changed in 2011 to remove the blanket ban on insulin users driving larger, passenger-carrying vehicles like ambulances and allowing us to be individually assessed, I would very likely have had to choose an alternative career. Instead once I finish my final year at university I’m hoping to return to the London Ambulance service full-time as a paramedic”.
Nikki Joule, Policy Manager at Diabetes UK, said: “Diabetes UK has always campaigned to ensure that people with diabetes are assessed fairly for their fitness to drive. We believe that all people with diabetes have the right to drive if they can prove their medical fitness as there is no compelling evidence to suggest that people with diabetes pose a greater risk than other drivers. We are always delighted when we hear stories like Sarah’s as it shows that properly managed, diabetes doesn’t need to hold people back.”
People with Type 1 diabetes have to manage their blood glucose levels through taking daily insulin doses. No one knows what causes the condition, but it’s not to do with being overweight and it isn’t currently preventable. Running, like other forms of physical activity, can help people with diabetes manage their condition more effectively.
Money raised from the Bupa Great Run Series will enable Diabetes UK and Bupa to raise awareness and vital funds to support the 3.8 million people in the UK living with diabetes, including delivering a series of Healthy Lifestyle Roadshows around the UK in 2014 to find those who may have the condition but have not been diagnosed.
Diabetes UK Bupa Events Manager, Fiona Streeter, said: “Each year, 24,000 people with diabetes in England and Wales die before their time, yet if managed correctly people with diabetes can live healthy, happy lives.
“The money Sarah Fawzi raises will help us to continue to support the 3.8 million people living with diabetes in the UK to help them avoid some of the serious complications of the condition such as heart disease, stroke and amputation.
“Diabetes UK is delighted to yet again be the Bupa charity partner for the Bupa Great Run Series in 2014. Together we are working towards a future without diabetes.”
For more information on driving with diabetes visit: www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Living_with_diabetes/Driving/
To sponsor Sarah Fawzi please visit www.justgiving.com/sarahfawzi
