DGap blood tests
January 15, 2012 | 8:35 pmWe got involved in the JDRF sponsored DGap study early last year. Nikki found out about it from someone on the Children with Diabetes (CWD) support mailing list. All the details of this study can be seen here, but essentially the study is trying to find links between gene’s, the immune system and type 1 diabetes. We initially sent them saliva samples from the girls, but then got asked whether we would go and give blood samples too. Having originally had an appointment before Christmas that got cancelled because Grace was ill, we ended up going to Cambridge University Hospital yesterday.
The whole family (except Samuel) gave some blood samples for another study, whilst we were at the CWD Friends for Life conference in October. At the time, they struggled to get some blood from Lily-Anne and the same happened yesterday. Nikki has had the same issue in the past when in hospitals – nurses just can’t seem to find her veins, and it seems Lily-Anne has inherited her veins.
After signing all the forms, Lily-Anne volunteered to go first and this is where we found out how hard it is to get blood out of her! Trying on her first arm, the nurse couldn’t get the cannula into a vein. This dragging it out meant that Lily-Anne got very upset, so she took a break and Grace stepped in.
In complete contrast, Grace’s veins were very giving. She was really brave as the nurse put the cannula in and chatted throughout. It took no time for the nurse to get the 30ml of blood they needed.
By the time it was Lily-Anne’s turn again, she was really traumatised, shaking and crying. The nurse needed a steady hand to get the cannula in and Lily-Anne was shaking like a leaf. By this point, I was wondering whether we woud have come all this way only for Lily-Anne to not give blood. But to her enormous credit, she persevered and they were able to get all the samples they needed.
I admit to offering her a bribe if she did it. You can see Lily-Anne and Grace below with their rewards, which we got from Build-a-Bear Workshop this afternoon.
Posted by Gareth
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Thanks for that Gareth. Well done those two beautiful girls, they are stars. My twins also gave blood recently for the Barts twin studies and they had trouble finding Becky’s veins and I was almost about to call it off as she was looking distinctly wobbly and sick. In the end she was ok and was brave. But she is 17 and your girls a lot younger and were very grown up and brave to do it while feeling so scared. I want to say a big thank you to them, because everyone who does give blood in these studies will be helping that little bit to find that cure.