Mum shares warning signs after son, 13, died from undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes

Detailed summary

Beth Reynolds is sharing what happened to her son Peter Baldwin ahead of World Diabetes Day in a bid to raise awareness of they key warning signs of Type 1 diabetes to watch out for

A mum who lost her son aged just 13 due to undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes has shared her promise to him to "try to save as many other kids" as she could so "his death would not be in vain."

47-year-old Beth Reynolds said her son, Peter Baldwin, showed "absolutely all" of the major warning signs for Type 1 diabetes looking back. Known as the four Ts, they stand for: toilet, thirsty, tired, thinner. But, she said the teenager's flu-like symptoms at the time "masked" what was really going on.

Beth, from Cardiff, is sharing her story ahead of World Diabetes Day tomorrow in a bid to raise awareness and save lives. She took Peter to a GP on New Year's Eve in 2014, where he was accurately diagnosed with a chest infection and given antibiotics. But over the next 24 hours, her son's condition became critical.

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On January 1, 2015, Beth called 999 and said a first responder "took one look" at her son, put on an oxygen mask and pricked his finger to be able to say with almost certainty that he had Type 1 diabetes and he was in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA is a life-threatening medical emergency which happens when the body breaks down fat as it does not have enough insulin to break down glucose for fuel.

It causes harmful chemicals called ketones to build up, making the blood dangerously acidic, causing organs to shut down, and can lead to complications impacting the brain, heart or lungs, and even death. Peter was rushed to hospital that same day where he fell into a diabetic coma before dying just five days later on January 6.

Beth, a leadership and management coach, is also mum to Lia, 20, and Finley, five. She said: "I promised Peter that his death would not be in vain and I would like to try to save as many other kids as I could in whatever way that looks…

She…

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