March 2012 Recipients
A $7,500 grant has been donated to Tanya and Paul Fong to enable them to purchase an insulin pump for their son Kambell, thanks to the Mazda Foundation.
Kambell, aged eight, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 19 months old. Kambell needs constant monitoring as his blood sugar levels are very unstable and fluctuate frequently. These blood sugar fluctuations can cause Kambell to suffer from mood swings and outbursts which make it hard for him to maintain friends.
“As a mum, I am always watching the clock making sure he is eating on time and receiving his 5-6 insulin injections each day,” says Tanya Fong.
“The insulin pump will help Kambell live a more normal life and participate in activities with friends, such as camping and playing sports. We will no longer have to keep Kambell on a strict routine or wake him up in the middle of the night or early in the morning to give him an injection.”
In 2007, Tanya and Paul Fong used their savings to start a charitable organisation called Youth Quest: a character mentoring programme-based organisation, designed to practically and effectively work with young people and their families within their communities. As a result of this commitment, they are unable to afford the full cost of the insulin pump, as well as the considerable ongoing costs to purchase consumables for the pump.
