My son, Logan Hufft,

Was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on January 1st, 2021.  He is 10 years old.  He had severe stomach pain that morning when he woke up.  We thought that perhaps he was having an issue with his appendix so we drove him to El Paso Children’s Hospital.  We soon discovered that he was in diabetic ketoacidosis.  He spent 4 days in the ICU and then we began to live our new “normal”.  

The diabetes team at EPCH has been life-changing.  We are so grateful that we chose to take Logan to El Paso Children’s Hospital.  It is my understanding that it is one of the only hospitals in the area that has a pediatric in-patient education program.  Your child’s life completely changes the moment you are diagnosed.  I can’t imagine having been sent home without the team of experts that helped us learn with hands-on experience in the hospital.    Then, after going home, knowing that there is a diabetes educator a phone call away has brought such a sense of relief and confidence in our care of our son. 

The advice that I would give to other families out there is diagnosis isn’t the end of the world, it is the beginning of a new one.  January 1st (our day of diagnosis) is the day my son’s life was saved.  It is the day that we began to learn about how he can live his best life.  With proper care and management of his diabetes, he can do pretty much anything he sets his mind to.  There is power and confidence in taking control of your future and the tools that we got and learned at El Paso Children’s helped us do just that.

I would also remind the public of the warning signs.  I wish we had known them.  We could have got Logan treatment before his body went into diabetic ketoacidosis.  If your child is extra thirsty, going to the bathroom a lot, losing weight, having stomach pain, or if you just feel like something is off, don’t be afraid to go see your health care provider.  Ask for a simple glucose finger poke in the office and perhaps some lab work to follow up.   Trust your gut as a parent and if something feels off, talk to your healthcare provider right away.  I am so grateful that we took Logan in when we did and that he got such amazing care.

– Melissa Hufft