Selfless diabetic Sunderland schoolgirl Reenie raises nearly £5,000 for diabetes charity Type 1 Kidz

A diabetic schoolgirl has raised a whopping £4,843 for the children’s diabetes charity Type 1 Kidz after helping her mam to organise a fundraising netball tournament.

Reenie Hodgson, 10, was a perfectly healthy little girl until she took ill two years ago whilst on holiday in Portugal.

Mother, Angela Stoker, 45, said: “We were on holiday when Reenie fell ill. We took her to a local doctors’ surgery and they said she had gastroenteritis.

“However she ended up getting worse and being taken to hospital by ambulance and was admitted to an intensive care unit.

“Reenie had a number of tests and the doctors confirmed she had Type 1 diabetes.

“After 10 days she was well enough to fly home where she was once again taken by ambulance, this time to Sunderland Royal Hospital.”

Seaburn Dene pupil Reenie now manages her condition with a sensor and insulin pod which is controlled via a monitor which administers insulin every time she consumes food. 

Two years on from the family’s ordeal Reenie spoke with her mam about wanting to do something to help other children and families in the same situation.

Reenie is a keen netball player and represents her school team as well as local club Wearside Wildcats, playing in the position of wing attack.

With Angela a member of the England Netball Workforce and and North Durham County Netball Association, the pair decided to harness the power of the sport they love to raise vital funds.

Across the weekend of June 22 and 23, 48 children’s teams and 22 adult teams took part a fun-filled festival of netball at Harton Academy in South Shields, raising nearly £5,000 in the process.

Angela said: “As well as each team paying an entry fee we had sponsorship from local businesses, face painting and entertainment and prizes donated for us to raffle.

“It was a fantastic event and I’m absolutely amazed at how much money we have raised, I really didn’t expect to raise this amount.”

Reenie’s Wildcats team also managed to finish an impressive third place in the children’s tournament.

She said: “I had lots of fun at the tournament and it was important to raise money to help other children and families in the same situation as me.”

Reenie and Angela chose Type 1 Kidz to fundraise for as it’s a charity which is very close to their hearts.

Angela said: “Reenie now gets treatment at the Niall Quinn Children’s Centre and doctors have told us two children in Sunderland are getting diagnosed every week with Type 1 diabetes.

“It can feel very isolating for parents, but charities like Type 1 Kidz are there to support families in our position.”

As well as raising vital funds, Angela feels it’s equally important to raise awareness about the condition.

She said: “There is no history of diabetes in our family and this just came completely out of the blue.

“Looking back now there were signs that something was not quite right with Reenie before we went on holiday. She was lethargic and thirsty more of the time, but we were experiencing a heatwave and so put it down to that.

“If your child has a change in thirst, how may times they go to the toilet, loses weight, starts to wet the bed or is very lethargic then go to your GP and ask for a blood test.”

More details about Type 1 diabetes and the symptoms to look out for can be found on the NHS website.