A WORCESTER girl will be among 200 young people who will be lobbying Parliament today to ask MPs to improve support for pupils with diabetes in schools.

Chance Austin-Ricketts, who has type 1 diabetes, will help charity Diabetes UK put forward a case to about 100 MPs, including the city’s Mike Foster, about the inequalities in support for children with the condition at schools which can have a damaging effect on their quality of life, education and health.

Mum Jennifer, of Lansdowne Road, said the support 11-year-old Chance received at St George’s CE Primary School was so good she was able to go on a three-day trip to Spain in her final year.

She said the same level of care is just not possible at Bishop Perowne CE College, though, because pupils are not with the same teachers all day every day, meaning they do not get the chance to spot symptoms or signs when a child is not well.

Mrs Austin-Ricketts said funding should be put in place for a school nurse.

“It would be a good idea not just for Chance but for other pupils as well,” she said. “We want to encourage change so it will benefit all and not just our child.”

Mrs Austin-Ricketts said because Chance, who was diagnosed with diabetes two-and-a-half-years ago, is on a complicated carbohydrate counting scheme usually reserved for adults, she is in need of more help, support and attention than ever.

She said she is having to go into the school on Merriman’s Hill at least once every day because Chance’s condition has made her ill, so they both hope today’s summit in London will mean schools such as Bishop Perowne get more funding to give diabetic pupils more help.

“This is an opportunity for Chance to put across her point of view and it puts a face to the illness,” said Mrs Austin-Ricketts. “She’s also keen to learn about the whole Parliament system as well but it’s important for Chance to have the opportunity to get involved and understand that if there’s a problem you have to say something and stand up and be counted otherwise change is unlikely to happen.”

Diabetes is a condition that, if not managed effectively, can lead to long-term complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and even amputation.

Short-term complications such as hypoglycaemic episodes, known as ‘hypos’, can lead to unconsciousness and hospitalisation.