Kids with diabetes show off their devices at Canadian fashion shows
⭐️HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW⭐️
The Pump Couture fashion shows took place in six cities across Canada this spring.
The shows are an opportunity for people with diabetes to show off their devices.
Diabetes Canada organized the events to raise money for the organization's camps for kids with diabetes.
Read on to find out what it was like for kids who participated. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
When you hear 'pumps' and fashion, you might be thinking about high-heeled shoes.
But at the Pump Couture fashion shows, the pumps in question are a piece of medical tech.
That's because the shows, put on by Diabetes Canada, feature kids and adults living with diabetes who use devices like insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to help manage their condition.
The events took place in six Canadian cities over the spring.
CBC Kids News spoke to four kids who said it was a good experience to meet other kids with diabetes and feel more confident.
'It's probably one of the biggest things I look forward to every year now,' said Mathew Voss, 17, who took part in Regina, Saskatchewan, for a second year.
He said he hopes the fashion shows encourage people 'to wear their devices out in public and be more proud of who they are and what their condition is instead of hiding.'
Show features kids with Type 1 diabetes
This year's Pump Couture shows took place in:
Halifax, Nova Scotia, on April 4.
Vancouver, British Columbia, on April 16.
Calgary, Alberta, on May 1.
Regina, Saskatchewan, on May 16.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, on May 23.
Toronto, Ontario, on June 10.
Each model has diabetes and uses devices to manage it. The kid models we spoke to got to wear two outfits: a casual one and a fancy one.
There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.
The kids we spoke to all have Type 1 diabetes, meaning their pancreas doesn't make a hormone called insulin.
Insulin controls how much sugar is in your blood. Without insulin, too much sugar builds up in the blood and that can cause serious health complications and sometimes death.
Chantelle Valley, left, shows off her insulin pump while trying on dresses for the Toronto, Ontario, fashion show. Mathew Voss, right, walks the runway in Regina, Saskatchewan, with his CGM (continuous glucose monitor) displayed on his arm. (Images submitted by Pierre Valley and Cindy Voss)
To help track and manage their blood sugar, some people with Type 1 diabetes use devices like the CGM and insulin pump.
The CGM is a circular sensor that sticks into the body and communicates with a phone or other device to help people with diabetes track their sugars.
The insulin pump gives people with diabetes the insulin they need to stay healthy.
Both these devices are worn on the body and need to be incorporated into outfits.
If the device can't be clipped on the clothes or put in a pocket, Chantelle Valley, 10, who took part in Toronto, Ontario, said she uses a special bag that holds her pump.
Amannat Dhaliwal, 14, who took part in the Vancouver, B.C., fashion show, said sometimes the pump gets in the way but overall she is grateful for it.
'It helps out a lot throughout every day.'
An opportunity to show devices
Amannat said the Pump Couture shows helped her to feel more confident and gave her an opportunity to show off her devices.
'I normally try to hide mine as much as I can.'
Each model got to wear two outfits. One of the outfits Amannat Dhaliwal wore was an Indian sari, right, that let her show off her culture at the show in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Images submitted by Sherry Dhaliwal)
She said it gets 'tiring' having to explain it to people who don't know what the pump is for.
But at the fashion shows, everyone already knows and is supportive.
At school, Silvie Mahoney, 11, who walked in the Halifax, Nova Scotia, show, said she is often asked about her devices.
'It kind of makes me feel sad because some people say: 'Oh, are you a robot?''
Silvie said the shows helped her not feel embarrassed to wear her pump in an obvious place.
'You just can show it off and be like, I'm a diabetic and I'm proud.'
Raising money for D-Camp
The fashion shows help raise money for D-Camp, which is run by Diabetes Canada for kids with Type 1 diabetes.
The kids we spoke to have all been to a D-Camp in their region.
Chantelle said she likes going to D-Camp because she can meet other kids who have to monitor their insulin, unlike at school where she is the only one living with diabetes.
Mathew said monitoring sugar levels and making sure you're taking the right amount of insulin can require a lot of planning and supporting.
'Diabetes it's a very hard condition sometimes,' he said.
'With D-camps, you have that extra safety seatbelt of other people you can rely on so that you can have more fun.'
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