DUP MLA Cheryl Brownlee will be hosting the ‘Dip for Diabetes’ on Saturday, June 15 at 11am to mark Diabetes Week 2024 (June 10-16). Starting at her constituency office at 1c Castle Street in the town, participants will be taking to Belfast Lough, just beside Carrickfergus Castle for a mass sea dip to raise as much money as possible for Diabetes UK. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Cheryl’s young son Lyle was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in November 2023, shortly after she took up her role as an MLA. At only three years old, Lyle had Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) and spent nine nights in the Royal Victoria and Antrim Area hospitals, while the incredible staff worked to get Lyle back to full health and prepared his mum and dad for his new life of four injections a day. Speaking ahead of the event, Cheryl said: “I never thought my son would have been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes - we had no family history and little knowledge of the condition.
It was a huge shock when we received the news and I want everyone to be aware of the signs and symptoms of diabetes. "No individual is the same - you may experience different symptoms and the symptoms you have may not exactly match that of another person however, the most common symptoms experienced by many people with diabetes are increased thirst, going for a wee a lot, feeling tired and losing weight.