'People say I don't know how you do it, but as a mum, you just do' - Family life with a type 1 teen, with mum of four Angela McMahon

Welcome back to a new season of Type 1 on 1! Series 13, come through!

I always say the parents of children with type 1 diabetes are the unsung rockstars, and today’s guest is no exception.

Angela McMahon is a busy mum living in Northern Ireland with her husband Steven and their four girls. Twins Sienna and Arianna were just 11 months old when their big sister Iszara was diagnosed with type 1 at the age of 5, in January 2015. Big sister Tamzin was 12 at the time, so there wasn’t much room for a demanding chronic condition as well, although as you can imagine, sleepless nights were something Angela was more than familiar with when type 1 diabetes descended on their family.

10 years later, Angela spoke to me about the journey she and Iszara have been on, both individually and together as part of a busy, lively household - navigating homework with hospital appointments, and supermarket shops with finger pricks. We chat about having helpful conversations with school teachers, and how Angela is learning to step back as Iszara becomes more independent.

Now 15 years old, Iszara moved onto a hybrid closed loop insulin pump earlier this year and the family have seen incredible changes. For Angela, it’s the first time she’s been able to sleep properly in a decade, while she describes her daughter as more comfortable with her condition, and more happy in herself.

CONNECT WITH ANGELA: Say hi to Angela on Instagram.

JOIN THE TYPE 1 ON 1 COMMUNITY: We’ve got an Instagram account! Come and say hi @studiotype1on1.

SPONSOR MESSAGE: Thanks to my episode sponsors Dexcom.

Pioneer and leader in Real-Time continuous glucose monitors,

Dexcom's goal is to simplify and improve diabetes management for every possible person with diabetes.

They have a choice of systems, so you can find the right one for your lifestyle at https://www.dexcom.com/