A DEVASTATED young woman has shared heart-wrenching photos of her stillborn son – in a bid to highlight the terrifying dangers diabetic women endure in pregnancy.
Brave Cheyenne Greenwald, 20, and her husband Caden, 21, from Utah, United States, were able to cuddle little Dean following his death.
Cheyenne, who has type 1 diabetes, was forced to give birth to her dead son after she was left fighting for her life.
Cheyenne is now sharing her story in the hopes she can prevent other diabetic women from experiencing the same heartbreak she has.
She said: "I hate my diabetes.
"It could have taken anything from me, my sight, my kidney, the feeling in my fingers and feet, but instead, it cost me my son."
Cheyenne and Caden were ecstatic when they found out they were pregnant – despite not trying for a baby.
I hate my diabetes. It could have taken anything from me, my sight, my kidney, the feeling in my fingers and feet, but instead, it cost me my son
At first, Cheyenne suspected her missed period was down to hormonal changes surrounding her type one diabetes, until a friend joked that she might be pregnant.
Cheyenne, who currently isn't working, said: "Our friend's joke turned into reality when we went out and bought a pregnancy test.
"We immediately started planning our lives with a little one on the way."
Despite miscarrying last September in another unexpected pregnancy, Cheyenne was told by doctors that as long as she took care of her diabetes, having a baby in the future wouldn't be an issue.
Having been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes eight years earlier, Cheyenne was confident in her abilities to look after her health.
However, in the days leading up to the loss of her son at almost seven months pregnant, Cheyenne began to feel unwell.
She said: "We were closing in on a new home and celebrating my husband's 21st birthday with a meal at home.
"I was feeling really tired and felt as though something was stuck in my chest.
"The next day I stayed home from work because I had severe back pain."
What is Type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is where the cells in the body that typically produce insulin have been destroyed, leaving the body unable to produce the key hormone.
It's far less common, affecting around 10 per cent of adults.
It is treated with daily insulin injections or an insulin pump.
This form of the disease typically occurs in childhood, or before the age of 40 and is not linked to obesity.
One well-known sufferer of Type 1 diabetes is former Prime Minister Theresa May.
She has recently revealed that she has to inject herself with insulin up to five times a day to manage her condition.
While pregnant women can also suffer from gestinational diabetes, when they produce too much blood sugar while carrying their unborn baby.
Model Danielle Lloyd has told how she suffered from the condition while pregnant with her fourth child and was told to have bed rest.
Every person diagnosed with type 1 diabetes will have to take insulin via injection or a pump.
This medication is designed to lower blood sugar levels, but cannot cure the disease.
Cheyenne soon realised it wasn't just usual pregnancy sickness, and her drowsy feeling was down to not getting enough insulin from her insulin pump – which aimed to automatically corrected her blood sugar levels to keep them stable.
Cheyenne's insulin pump should have given her enough insulin before eating a meal and correct any irregularities in her blood sugar.
However, due to the constant complexity of living with type 1 diabetes, her pump was not set up to give her the perfect dosage that she needed.
Eventually, the lack of insulin in Cheyenne's bloodstream made her fall into diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is a serious problem that can occur in people with diabetes if their body starts to run out of insulin.
Even when the ER doctors told me the news again I still wasn't coherent and I would press and rub my belly like I was trying to feel my son move
This causes harmful substances called ketones to build up in the body, which can be life-threatening if not spotted and treated quickly, according to the NHS.
She said: "By the time I realised it was DKA after throwing up I was already in and out of consciousness and wasn't able to get hold of my husband until he came home from his job as a mechanic for lunch at 2pm.
"He found my bowl of liquid vomit as I was passed out on our bed breathing heavy."
Caden called for an ambulance and Cheyenne was rushed to hospital.
While at the hospital, Cheyenne claimed she explained to the nurses that she was diabetic, which left them bewildered.
"They thought it was impossible for me to get pregnant as a diabetic and gave my husband a confused look when he asked for an ultrasound for our baby," Cheyenne said.
Cheyenne was left fighting for her life but fortunately recovered from DKA after just five hours in the intensive care unit.
Despite this, it was already too late her for son's life.
Caden was forced to tell Cheyenne the heartbreaking news that their baby had died while she was in ICU.
And he was then made to make an even more gut-wrenching decision – Cheyenne would have to give birth to her dead baby, rather than having a C-section.
She said: "Even when the ER doctors told me the news again I still wasn't coherent and I would press and rub my belly like I was trying to feel my son move.
"My husband then had to make a difficult choice about the stillbirth.
"I had a 25 per cent chance of making it out alive with a C-section, but a 50/50 chance with a natural birth."
Caden decided it was best to let Cheyenne have a natural birth, which led to her giving birth to their son, Dean William Greenwald, who weighed 4lbs and 12oz, on August 22 2019.
Following her heartbreaking ordeal, Cheyenne is now desperately trying to keep on top of her diabetes treatment.
What is diabetic ketoacidosis?
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious problem that can occur in people with diabetes if their body starts to run out of insulin.
This causes harmful substances called ketones to build up in the body, which can be life-threatening if not spotted and treated quickly.
DKA mainly affects people with type 1 diabetes, but can sometimes occur in people with type 2 diabetes.
If you have diabetes, it's important to be aware of the risk and know what to do if DKA occurs.
Signs of DKA include:
- needing to pee more than usual
- feeling very thirsty
- being sick
- tummy pain
- breath that smells fruity (like pear drop sweets or nail varnish)
- deep or fast breathing
- feeling very tired or sleepy
- confusion
- passing out
DKA can also cause high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia) and a high level of ketones in your blood or urine, which you can check for using home-testing kits.
Symptoms usually develop over 24 hours, but can come on faster.
She said: "I haven't always managed my diabetes well, but I am managing it a lot better now because I know I can't give up.
"I am currently seeing my diabetic experts every six weeks instead of every three months until we get everything with my pump figured out."
And she has credited her husband, whom she met eight years ago just before her diabetes diagnosis, for giving her constant support after their son's death.
To all other diabetic mothers – make sure your medication is set up correctly, speak to your doctor, and remember to plan
She said: "Me and my husband have managed amazingly as a team.
"We are each other's best friends and he hovers over my blood sugars because he cares and can't lose me too."
Now, Cheyenne has a strong message for all mothers and wants to raise awareness for diabetic women in particular.
She said: "I want others to know that diabetic mothers worry so much more than other mothers.
"We don't only worry about our child and if we'll be a good mother, we constantly worry about our numbers and not having control over our disease.
"To all other diabetic mothers – make sure your medication is set up correctly, speak to your doctor, and remember to plan.
"Not having control over your disease could ultimately lead to losing a child."
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