DIABETES, UP CLOSE

It's time to retire myths and focus on awareness, early detection and daily management

- BY LAKSHANAN PALAT Assistant Features Editor

Tackling the stigma, one doll at a time.

That silence around Type 1 diabetes is exactly what advocates and educators hope to change. In a move toward inclusivity and awareness, a new Barbie doll has been released, Barbie with Type 1 diabetes. The goal: To raise awareness about the condition, especially among children, and to normalise conversations around living with diabetes.

So, while dolls like Barbie help spark conversations about Type 1 diabetes, the real impact lies in the personal stories of those affected.

Abu Dhabi-based IT professional Vivek (who prefers not to share his last name for privacy) remembers how diabetes shadowed his childhood through his mother’s long, difficult struggle with the condition. “Her diabetic condition was just stressful to watch. We grew up watching her, suddenly going through sweating episodes, feverish or tired, and wounds that would just not heal.”

The wound on her leg worsened, over time. It showed no sign of healing, to the point that she found it difficult to walk after a while. “There were disturbing conversations about probably amputations with doctors that left her rather depressed too,” remembers Vivek. After a series of complications, compounded over the years, she passed away in 2020. “That’s why, I would always advise to never take diabetes lightly. People have such misconceptions about it, thinking that it’s ‘only about not eating a chocolate’ for a while. But, it’s so much more.”

Vivek’s words echo what many medical professionals stress: Diabetes is a chronic, complex condition, not just a dietary restriction. While managing sugar intake is important, diabetes care involves exercise, stress management, mental health, medication, and ongoing monitoring.

“I feel people downplay it,” Vivek adds. “They don’t want to talk about it, just like my mother didn’t. And that silence becomes part of the problem.”