When Sugar Turns Deadly: A Mother’s Fight Against Diabetes Ketoacidosis (DKA)

Diabetes Diaries – Part 2

Diabetes is not just about insulin and food. Sometimes, it is about survival.

This is Part 2 of my journey raising a child with diabetes — the part that nearly broke me. 

What Is DKA — And Why Is It So Dangerous?

DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis) happens when the body does not have enough insulin. Without insulin, the body cannot use glucose for energy, so it begins to break down fat. This produces acids called ketones, which build up in the blood and can become life-threatening. For us, DKA was not just a medical term.

• It was oxygen dropping.
• It was dim eyes.
• It was machines beeping.
• It was fear.

We have faced DKA twice. And twice, I thought I might lose my daughter. The First Time: Before Diagnosis, Before we even knew she had diabetes, her body was already fighting. She was weak. She could not walk. She could not talk. Her oxygen levels were low. All she wanted were grapes and water. Grapes! To a nutritionist, that means sugar overload. To a mother watching her child fade, it meant at least she was eating something.

 When the doctor looked at me and said, “Where do I admit Nathania? I cannot let you go home,” I felt the ground disappear beneath me. That was the moment I understood this was bigger than food. Bigger than fear. This was life or death.

The Second Time: After Diagnosis, the second time slapped differently. This time we knew she had diabetes. But her sugars were not controlled. Insulin did not seem to work. We were still learning. We were still making mistakes. And diabetes does not give grace periods. Her veins were hard to find. Her breathing became heavy. Her eyes lost their brightness. It was just me and her in that room. I stayed close so she could feel my heartbeat. I spoke softly. I prayed. I sang. I refused to let fear silence me. If I could not heal her, I would at least make sure she felt my love. Machines surrounded her. Tubes monitored her. Cords regulated her body. Seven days in ICU felt like seven years. Those days changed me forever. The Hard Truth About “Playing It Safe” As a parent, severe lows (hypos) are terrifying. So sometimes, I increased her carbs before school just to avoid the risk. High felt safer than low. But high sugars, over time, open the door to DKA. That is the trap many caregivers fall into — choosing the fear we think we can manage.

DKA taught me that balance is everything. Not fear, Not guessing, Not hope alone. Balance! Education! Monitoring!

During those seven hospital days, I learnt:  Monitor glucose at least three times a day,   Never assume insulin is working — confirm it, Understand carbohydrates deeply,  Ask doctors questions without shame, Visit the clinic regularly, Act immediately when sugars stay high, Knowledge is not optional when raising a child with diabetes., It is survival.

To Every Parent Walking This Road: If you are raising a child with diabetes, I see you, The anxiety when they go to school, The midnight glucose check, The constant calculations, The silent prayers, You are not overreacting,  You are not dramatic. You are protecting a life.

DKA is terrifying. But it is preventable with education, vigilance, and support. Ask questions. Learn about food. Monitor consistently. Advocate fiercely.

 If Nathania survived DKA twice, your child can survive too, But more than survival — we fight for stability, We fight for understanding, We fight for long, healthy futures, This is not just parenting, This is warrior parenting.

Until then, each day is a fight for survival. A fight to get all the tools, information, healthcare and support that Nathania needs to grow up healthy and strong. This is a fight for all of us because non-communicable diseases greatly impact majority of our families. This is a fight that we all can and should commit to so that we can design a future that serves and protects us all. A future we can all be proud of. 

Now, I would like to know more about you? Have you been impacted by non-communicable diseases in your life, family or community? Send your story through jannie.njenga@gmail.com or africadiabetesalliance@gmail.com so we can connect, share, learn and relearn but most especially disarm diabetes together!! The more the easier and merrier too, I hope!!