kids with type 1 diabetes can just be kids with the help of wearable technology
"using omnipod dash® has been amazing. we were able to get more stable blood glucose levels throughout the day and a lot fewer low glucose levels."
published jun 10, 2022
last updated feb 20, 2025
4 minute read
4 minute read
this story is sponsored by
omnipod®
this story was created by content works, postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of a client.
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in many ways, timmins, ont. native chloé labonté is just like any other eight-year-old kid. with summer just around the corner, she’s excited about the holiday ahead, spending time with her family at their cottage near smooth rock falls, and a couple months of fun in the sun jumping on the trampoline, biking, swimming, fishing, hiking, canoeing, and camping. chloé loves playing with her cousins, her older sister Émilie and younger brother miguel, and the family’s 14-year-old husky, leia.
however, in many ways chloé is very different. first of all, chloé is an incredible gymnast, who trains three times a week for hours at a time with kids much older than her. she has been training competitively since she was just five years old. second, she’s living with type 1 diabetes.
“chloé was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on christmas eve in 2020,” says anne, chloé’s mom. “it came as a shock to us because there’s no history of diabetes in our family whatsoever, and because chloé has always been a super healthy, active kid.”
adapting to life with a chronic medical condition wasn’t easy for chloé and her family, but with the right care team and support, they’ve been managing it quite well.
“with type 1 diabetes, there’s a honeymoon phase where the pancreas still produces some insulin,” says anne. “it’s been well over a year since diagnosis and chloé is still in that honeymoon phase. this throws things off a little bit more. that’s why we started using an insulin pump so early on, because it allows for more precise dosing.”
four months after her diagnosis, doctors switched chloé from an insulin pen – a device containing a cartridge, a dial to measure dosage, and a disposable needle – to omnipod dash® insulin management system, a wearable insulin pump that delivers insulin via a waterproof* pod. “with pens, you can only give a half unit as the minimum dose and chloé needed less than that,” says anne. “switching her to the pump made a huge difference, and using omnipod dash® has been amazing. we were able to get more stable blood glucose levels throughout the day and a lot fewer low glucose levels. being able to microdose the insulin has made her life much simpler and allowed her to be more independent.”
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omnipod dash® provides an intuitive, innovative way to simplify insulin management that offers freedom from the burden of multiple daily injections. it offers ease and flexibility to active users who are always on the go like chloé, thanks to its discreet and compact tubeless design (it’s the only tubeless insulin pump in canada) along with the fact that it’s waterproof.* it supplies up to three days (up to 72 hours) of continuous insulin delivery, simplifying diabetes management considerably for both chloé and her family.
“the pump also allowed chloé to eat more freely,” says anne. “she used to be on a high insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio. it made dosing for meals hard. the pump makes things so much easier and she has much more freedom to eat what she wants now.”
omnipod dash® connects wirelessly to a personal diabetes manager (pdm), which allows users to program insulin delivery. “we got lucky because the omnipod dash® had just come out in canada, and it offers a zero basal rate, which we’re still using because chloé is so sensitive to insulin,” says anne. “she doesn’t need any insulin at night, so we’ve been really lucky that it has that feature or else her glucose levels would be going low at night.”
the omnipod dash® pdm allows users to set various presets for different types of activities, add tags to blood glucose levels, and personalize insulin delivery based on daily routine.
“the omnipod dash® is very user-friendly,” says anne. “chloé has the dexcom as well, which helps a lot. it provides a glucose reading every five minutes. using dexcom and the omnipod dash® has really helped her to continue with her gymnastics training.”†
in fact, the use of innovative diabetes management tools like the omnipod dash® has let chloé continue not only with gymnastics, but with all the daily activities that eight-year-old children enjoy.
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“chloé is a spunky kid,” says anne. “she has a lot of energy and always has. she’s always been a go-getter. when she was three years old, she taught herself to ride a bike without training wheels. she has been doing backhand springs since she was five years old. nowadays, she’s really excited about competing in gymnastics. type 1 diabetes is 24/7 and doesn’t take holidays, but chloé doesn’t let it stop her from doing anything she sets her mind to.”
*the pod has a waterproof ip28 rating of up to 7.6 metres (25 feet) for up to 60 minutes. the personal diabetes manager (pdm) is not waterproof.
†omnipod is not integrated with the dexcom g6 cgm system.
this story was created by content works, healthing.ca’s commercial content division, on behalf of omnipod®.
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