Congenital Hyperinsulinism International (CHI) is deeply concerned about all congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) families affected by Hurricane Sandy as we head into the first post-storm weekend.
As difficult as it is for all of us to live with damage to a home, a car, days without power, telephone, cable, no school, in some cases, no work, and no gas, living without all of this while managing a child’s chronic illness can be a daunting process. We know too well what that can entail, whether it be checking blood sugar levels around the clock and manually delivering boluses to a g-tube, hunting for an open pharmacy to refill a necessary prescription, searching for pump supplies, or coaxing a child to eat meals without the tools of distraction in order to keep blood sugar levels where they should be.
In the face of all of this adversity, we urge all HI families affected by the hurricane to reach out to their concentric communities for any help or aid that may needed. Reach out to family, friends and neighbors for support as well as local fire departments and police if necessary. Many communities have temporary shelter and support locations with power and heat. If a generator would make all the difference, local fire departments and police can help procure them and set them up. They can even keep the supply of gasoline going. If a generator is not available and taking care of your child at home is becoming too difficult, a short stay in the hospital is always an option. Stay in touch with your child’s medical care provider if anything is needed. CHI support is always available by telephone at 973-544-8372. We hope that power and normalcy are restored to CHI families affected by the storm as soon as possible.
