WINNIPEG — Zach Davis stands out every time he hits the ice.
Mainly because of the 12-year-old defenceman’s 6’1″, 208lb frame – something he uses to his advantage during games.
“Battling along the boards,” said the River East Marauders minor hockey player. “Just getting around guys and skating wide. I’m pretty fast so I beat guys wide and carry the puck a lot.”
But there’s one opponent Davis has had trouble overcoming: his type 1 diabetes.
“If (my blood sugar is) high, I skate around with the puck and my head down,” said Zack. “When I’m low, I’m not in my position. I pass to other players like it’s my team.”
A turnover, though, is the least of his concerns. Davis suffered a seizure on the bench last season after his blood sugar dropped too low.
“It feels chaotic and unreal because you can’t help him,” said Zack’s mom Vanessa Davis. “It would be nice to know before that kind thing would happen.”
Now she can, thanks to a tool called the Dexcom G4. A wireless sensor on Zack’s abdomen continuously checks his blood sugar and transmits the results to a monitor.
“With this machine, it shows you a trend,” said Vanessa. “When it starts to go up, give him insulin. When it starts to get low, give him a snack.”
Before receiving the device, Vanessa would sit essentially on the bench so she could poke Zack’s finger to check his blood sugar. The Dexcom G4 not only takes out the guess work but eliminates any worries.
“Makes my mom not as stressful to come to the bench and check my blood sugar,” said Zack. “My mom has a thing where it’s thumbs up, then I’m good. A thumbs down means I have to drink Gatorade.”
That allows Zack to concentrate more on the game.
“His attention span out there and his ability to play is better because his sugar is better controlled,” said Vanessa.
But it doesn’t come cheap. The Dexcom G4 costs nearly $7000 a year to run. The wireless sensors alone have to be replaced once a week at a price of $340 per month. The bill far exceeds what Vanessa’s insurance plan covers.
“It’s not something the clinic here talks about a lot because it is so expensive,” said Vanessa. “It’s something that isn’t covered or something that people can actually use unless you have thousands of dollars at your disposal each year.”
Despite its high cost, the Davis’ say the Dexcom G4 is worth it and that everyone should have access to the device.
“It is a game changer,” said Vanessa. “There’s no other way to put it. It has allowed me to sleep at night. It has allowed him to play with his buddies.”
Comments