SASKATOON, Sask. — Jennifer Simmons’ daughter Kinsley has type 1 diabetes, and one of their daily struggles every school year is not knowing that education support workers in schools have proper medical training in tending to her.
Simmons said getting her daughter Kinsley, who turned eight on Monday, Aug. 31, going back to school this year goes far beyond one child’s medical needs. Kinsley was seven when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last November.
She said that in the months that followed, Kinsley was able to attend school for only five days, despite strong medical support from her pediatrician, the pediatric diabetes clinic in Regina and other medical specialists in Saskatoon.
“We had the medical support and understanding, but at school we hit a gap. Right now, Saskatchewan has no provincial standard to ensure students with type 1 diabetes have their medical plans safely put into practice at school,” said Simmons.
She pointed out that the problem was not that training was unavailable or that education workers were unwilling to help, but that Saskatchewan lacks a provincial standard to ensure training and support are consistently provided in schools.
Simmons, the oldest of four siblings and the only one who does not have type 1 diabetes in their family, said parents are left navigating a system without consistent standards for managing medical plans. She said she tried to help bridge the gap herself, drawing on her own familiarity with type 1 diabetes.
Having a strong understanding of the medical condition, she volunteered to train education assistants. However, she said the school did not welcome her, and no government framework was in place to fill the gap, leaving her feeling stuck in limbo.
The situation became particularly difficult after the school told her on Dec. 17 that Kinsley was safe to return. When her daughter arrived, Simmons said her medical supplies were locked away, and her glucose monitor was taken from her.
Within 30 minutes, Simmons said she received an email asking when staff should call 911. Kinsley briefly returned to school in January, but on her third day, she experienced what Simmons described as a severe and preventable hypoglycemic event.
Kinsley’s glucose monitor alerted to the problem, but after she was given one gram of carbohydrate, the mistake went unnoticed. Her blood sugar continued to fall, and Simmons said Kinsley began stumbling, losing her vision and eventually going into severe hypoglycemic shock.
“This happened at school, where she has the right to a safe and dignified accommodation. Appropriate training was available, and it could have been in place, and it should have been in place,” said Simmons, who added that her daughter was subsequently excluded from the school again.
For Simmons, the consequences have extended beyond the immediate concerns about her daughter’s health. She said Kinsley loved school and, after her diagnosis, the first thing her daughter wanted was to hug her best friends.
“The first thing that she wanted to do was to go to school, see her community and feel that support. Changing schools does not fix what happened, and it does not protect the child who is diagnosed tomorrow,” she said.
Simmons said Kinsley will now begin Grade 3 at another school, leaving behind her friends, the French immersion program she attended since kindergarten and her community. The move is necessary for her daughter but does not resolve the larger problem.
Simmons is now calling for a province-wide standard of care, so other families do not have to go through what they have, and for a standard waiting list for everyone, adding that education workers need the training and support to care for students safely.
The government, in a statement from the Health Ministry, said the province's policy requires school divisions to support students with medical conditions and needs through co-ordinated planning, appropriate training, and collaboration with families and health-care professionals.
"School divisions are also responsible for ensuring that staff who support students with medical needs receive appropriate training and guidance based on the specific medical procedures they may be required to perform, helping to maintain a safe environment for students and staff," said the government.
