4-Year-Old Dies Of Undiagnosed Diabetes, Mom Vows To Spread Awareness About The Disease

A day after she lost her 4-year-old daughter to undiagnosed type 1 diabetes, Mommy Wella Baloloy Sia shared what happened in a Facebook post.

She called on the public to share her story to raise awareness on the disease and save children's lives. Her public post already has been shared over 195,000 times to date.

We are sharing her story to help her reach more parents.

"Most of you already know that yesterday, May 16, 2022, we lost our baby girl, Nathalie Sophia B. Sia. Ang daming messages na na-receive ko asking why, what happened because it's so sudden," she wrote.

She then recalled the first time they saw changes in their daughter Pia.

"Last May 11, when we got home from work, napansin namin na si Pia is matamlay. But prior to that day, medyo nag-start na siyang pumayat, pero ang inisip namin is picky-eater kasi ever since si Pia so hindi talaga siya ganon kalakas kumain at maselan siya kumain pero masigla siya, makulit, bibo kaya ang thinking namin is need lang talaga mag-focus na pakainin siya ng maayos."

The next day, May 12, Pia's dad decided to have her checked. Wella said they went to Pacific Global Medical Center, and the pediatrician who saw their child prescribed them the following: Ascorbic Acid, Multivitamins, and deworming medicine.

"Kasi pwede daw na kaya pumapayat si Pia is may bulate siya. Pinauwi sila, but lumipas nanaman ang magdamag at mahina pa din si Pia. Halos ayaw umalis sa bed, ayaw kumain na tlga puro inom lang ng gatas, water at juice, uhaw na uhaw siya lagi."

With no signs of improvement on Pia, Wella decided to bring her daughter to the emergency room of the same hospital on the next day, May 14, so that they can submit her to other laboratory tests and find out what's happening. She said, she wasn't confident with the initial diagnosis.

READ ALSO: How a Mom Almost Lost Her 3-Year-Old to Undiagnosed Diabetes

"From 4 pm to 11 pm nasa ER kami, sinabi ko lahat ng nangyari, history ng family namin sa diabetes, but after conducting yung blood and urine test niya, sabi lang nila na wala naman daw sakit si Pia, normal lang naman."

"I even showed them yung breathing ni Pia, sabi ko, "Tingnan niyo po normal po ba yan parang ang lalim niya huminga?" Ang ginawa lang is binilang ung breathing niya nung nurse and then sinabi nya sa doctor, and they said na, "Mommy, normal lang yang breathing niya for her age."

At this point, Wella became even more worried and even insisted to give IV to her daughter so she can regain her energy, but they were just sent home.

"Pinauwi nila kami that night, 11 pm. Walang resetang gamot. Nag-agree lang sila sa first reseta ng Pedia Doctor na tumingin sa kanya nung May 13 which were multivitamins and for deworming. Ang advice lang din na damihan ang fluid intake."

Wella said, when they brought Pia to the ER, she can still walk and talk even though she was feeling weak. 

"Madaling araw ng May 15, hindi na makatulog si Pia, ganun pa din yung breathing. Kinabukasan, feeling namin mas naging worse yung condition niya."

She said they decided to bring their child to another hospital, the Philippine Children's Medical Center.

READ ALSO: When to Take Your Child to the ER: Fever, Vomiting, Nosebleeds, and More

"Pagdating namin sa ER, ang bilis nila agad na-diagnose yung sakit ng anak ko. I've given the same information sa both hospitals kaya hindi ko maintindihan bakit hindi na-diagnose ng tama yung sakit ng anak ko sa naunang hospital."

"Nung dinala namin si Pia sa PCMC, as in lupaypay na siya, hindi na makapagsalita, hindi na kaya bumangon, and sabi samin critical stage na siya kasi yung sugar sa katawan niya is hindi na ma-contain."

Wella said, they told the doctors to do everything to save their daughter. "Lahat ng procedure na i-advice sa amin, sinabi namin gawin nila kung ano yung best maging okay lang si Pia, but hindi na talaga kinaya ng anak ko."

"On May 16, 2022, kinuha na siya samin," she wrote.

Wella says, she's trying to find the reason why this happened to them. "And isang bagay na ipinangusap sakin ni Lord is to share our experience to save many kids and spread awareness when it comes sa Type 1 diabetes."

She said, most parents are not knowledgeable about the disease, and some are not even aware that even children as young as 4 can have diabetes.

READ ALSO: More than just a Sugar Rush: What You Need to Know About Child Diabetes

"YES, pwedeng-pwede po magka-diabetes kahit bata pa especially kung nasa genes ang sakit na diabetes," she said. Here are the risk factors for diabetes on children, according to Mayo Clinic.

• Family history. Anyone with a parent or siblings with type 1 diabetes has a slightly increased risk of developing the condition.
• Genetics. Certain genes indicate an increased risk of type 1 diabetes.
• Race. In the United States, type 1 diabetes is more common among white children of non-Hispanic descent than among children of other races.
• Certain viruses. Exposure to various viruses may trigger the autoimmune destruction of the islet cells.

Wella then shared symptoms of Type 1 diabetes on children that parents might overlook. These are also from Mayo Clinic.

• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination, possibly bed-wetting in a toilet-trained child
• Extreme hunger
• Unintentional weight loss
• Fatigue
• Irritability or behavior changes
• Fruity-smelling breath

She added some symptoms that she saw in her child, "Walang gana kumain, matamlay at nanghihina, gusto lagi lang nakahiga, at hirap huminga." If you see these symptoms on your child, it is best to consult your doctor immediately. 

READ ALSO: Eating Too Many Sweets Causes Diabetes in Kids: True or False?

She then cautioned parents to take these symptoms seriously. "Please mga mommies and parents, don't ignore these symptoms dahil diabetes can really take our children from us."

She ended her post with a message for her daughter. "Anak, My Pia, I hope by posting this, I helped you served your purpose," she said. "Hindi ka lang mukhang Angel, talagang anghel ka na ginamit ni Lord para maka-save ng maraming bata pa and sobrang proud si Mommy sa'yo! Habang buhay magiging proud kami sayo anak at habang buhay ka naming mamahalin at hinding hindi kakalimutan."

According to a study, children who had Covid-19 are at risk of having diabetes. Read more here.

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