Canadian Friends of 
Chernobyl's Children
39 William Street, Elmira, Ontario  N3B 1P3    cfcc@golden.net

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Update on Tanya  - Pat and Dave Hanly

Prior to our children's visit in the summer of 2000, Tatyanna (Tanya) Dmitryshkova was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes and hospitalized for three weeks. She had been injecting herself with insulin but did not have a clear understanding of her illness or the medication. Throughout the summer, Tanya's Canadian host parents, Pat and Dave Hanly, worked closely with many health professionals to teach Tanya about the disease, her diet and her medication. Here in Pat's own words, is an update on Tanya's health and attitude as she confronts the ongoing physical and emotional aspects of her illness.
                  Tanya (right) with her sister Ira

There have been ups and downs for Tanya in 2001, and fortunately for her spirit and determination, she has been able to find opportunity in the rough spots in her life. After her return to Belarus last summer and her subsequent expulsion from English Teachers' College because of her diabetes, she returned to live with her family to finish her final year of high school. She did well academically despite several hospitalizations because of high blood sugar levels. She has kept her sights on becoming an English teacher and translator and began studying for University entrance exams this year. She did well in all but her math exam which eliminated her chance for University this fall. Despite her great sense of disappointment she reminded us that there are many ways to reach her goal ... some routes are simply longer than others. She is now attending a college in Minsk with hopes to attend University in the future.

Tanya has come to accept the fact that diabetes will be a life long challenge for her, although the insulin injections (4x daily) and regular blood sugar checks (also 4x daily) are not easy for a teenager. As well, it is difficult in Belarus to balance her diet to keep her blood sugars under control. Despite this, she understands diabetes extremely well and has the knowledge to manage her diabetes successfully. We hope that one day she will be able to use what she has learned to help other young Belarussian people who have diabetes.

She was really thrilled this summer when we were able to send an insulin autoinjector for her to use. This pen-like device is a much simpler and painless method for injecting insulin. It also gives her more freedom to do the things that other teenagers do.