“Little did we know she was already in a coma before going to bed that night.”
Shannon Sievert vividly recalls when her nine-month-old daughter Hazel, who caught her brother’s stomach bug, was rushed to the local hospital where she was found with a blood glucose level of 1256 — anything beyond 250 is considered dangerous. This revealed her diagnosis: Type 1 Diabetes. Hazel was taken by a life-flight team to another hospital, a transport that doctors thought Hazel wouldn’t make it through. “I know that our faith really helped get us through that day and the coming days, because she was still in a comatose-type state for two to three days,” she explains. Eleven days in the hospital coupled with a new diagnosis changed the Sievert family’s way of life.
Shannon, her husband, and their two older boys found a haven at Children’s Harbor Type 1 Diabetes Family Retreat. Shannon explains, “They’ve dealt with ‘Oh, mommy can’t do that right now, I’ve got to help Hazel.’ Especially in those early months when we’re still figuring it out. I know that they also felt the effects of it, apart from their little sister being in the hospital.” Children’s Harbor’s Lake Martin campus provided the Sievert family an environment to manage the pace of their lives, to slow down, because changes were happening so quickly. Shannon mentioned the positive impact it left on their nine-year-old, “…to not just meet other siblings, but meet kids with Type 1 that are older and see them being normal kids, to know that, like, Hazel’s gonna be OK.” Shannon appreciated the sense of community found at Children’s Harbor; it’s good to “be in a place where alarms going off isn’t bothering anybody and no one’s wondering what’s happening.”
Whether it was the joy that the boat ride brought for their oldest son, the creative outlet the arts and crafts provided, the surprisingly good-time Shannon had at the silent disco, or the mini golf that was a “must-do,” the Sievert family soaked in every minute of their time at our Lake Martin campus. While the activities were fulfilling, our volunteers made the most impact. “I was just so impressed by the community that you guys have. That there’s so many volunteers and people that support the program there. Regardless of which camp it is, that these people give of their time and of their resources, with their boats and things, to give those opportunities.” Hazel’s life was turned upside down in the blink of an eye. No matter what challenges the Sievert family faced, Children’s Harbor was the calm in the midst of their storm.
