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Episode 31: The Heart Behind the Care Packs: Bianca’s Story
59 Plays2 days ago
In our final episode for 2025, host Jacqui Kidman sits down with the incredible Bianca Ward — Type 1 mum of two, longtime supporter of the Type 1 Foundation and the heart behind the Care Packs program.
Bianca shares her family’s deeply personal journey through her daughter Daisy’s diagnosis at age 2, followed by her son Daniel’s diagnosis a few years later. She reflects on the shock, the fear, the finger-prick monitoring and the slow process of accepting a second diagnosis — all while raising a newborn. Her honesty is raw, generous and instantly relatable to any parent walking this path.
From attending her first Foundation Christmas party in 2017 to now leading the Care Packs program, Bianca explains how these beautifully curated packs come together — and why they matter so much. Each Care Pack is personalised, thoughtfully built and designed to feel like a hug during one of the most overwhelming times a family can face. They include practical tools, comforting items, sibling resources, samples, medical alert supplies and special touches chosen with love.
Bianca also discusses her passion for connecting families, helping parents find their "people," and making sure no one faces Type 1 alone. From Tiny-Tots sessions to Grandparent Webinars, Mum Dinners to Christmas events, she works to ensure every family has somewhere to land.
Further Resources:
Type 1 Foundation Website
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If you'd like to share your story with our podcast listeners, please email: podcast@type1foundation.com.au
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Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
The content provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:23
Speaker
Welcome to the Type 1 Club. Whether you're a parent grappling with a new diagnosis, a caregiver seeking guidance, or simply someone wanting to learn more about type 1 diabetes, this podcast is for you.
00:00:36
Speaker
Together, let's dispel myths, break down barriers and build a community of understanding and resilience. Join us as we embark on this journey together because with knowledge, compassion and support, no one should ever feel alone in managing type 1 diabetes.
00:00:54
Speaker
Welcome to the Type 1 Club. Hello and welcome to the Type
Jacqui's Personal Journey with Type 1 Diabetes
00:01:01
Speaker
1 Club. I am your host, Jacqui Kidman. This is actually our last episode for 2025. I'm very proud of the achievements for this year. The podcast has been running for just over 12 months and we have consistently released a podcast every two weeks in 2025. And twenty five and i feel like that's ah that's a big milestone for for for me but also for the Type 1 Foundation. So welcome back to this fortnight's episode, everybody. i am a Type 1 mum to a little boy named Harvey, and he was diagnosed back in June 2022 at the age of seven.
00:01:40
Speaker
So I come from a a bit of a ah Type 1 mum carers kind of side of things. And today I've got a guest that's going to jump in. This is
Bianca's Family Experience with Type 1 Diabetes
00:01:54
Speaker
Bianca Ward. So, Bianca, thank you so much for coming on to today's podcast. Thank you so much for asking me. I'm very excited to have you. Couldn't believe that you actually said yes. Neither can I.
00:02:08
Speaker
Bianca's really stepping out of her comfort zone here. she doesn't normally sort of do this sort of stuff, but i've reassured her that we won't be using any of the video that we can normally use, so she's okay with that. And she's realised that I'm not as scary as what she thought initially when we kept jumping on these as well. Hopefully hopefully that's that's what you feel like at the end of this, Bianca. um But, Bianca, do you want to just share a little bit about your first child's diagnosis and when that was?
00:02:35
Speaker
Yes, I actually have three children. My first one luckily doesn't have type 1 and she is 32. Then I have Daisy who is now 11 but she was diagnosed when she was 2.
00:02:49
Speaker
and I have Daniel who is 9 and he was diagnosed when he was 5. Yeah, like I could imagine that's... You know, like when you've got, like, say, for example, Daniel, when he passed that two-year-old milestone, you'd be like, oh great, you know. That's exactly how was. Daisy was diagnosed in September 2016 and Daniel was only three months old when that happened.
00:03:15
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So that was in itself a massive impact. I don't know what the word is, but having a newborn baby and having this diagnosis was definitely the hardest thing that me and my husband have ever dealt with.
00:03:29
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So then we just religiously tested Daniel with a finger prick, you know, semi-consistently for pretty much like three years. And when he was past well past the age that Daisy was diagnosed, I think we both sort of breathed a sigh of relief and thought we're okay he's okay.
00:03:48
Speaker
And then, yeah, unfortunately started to show the same symptoms. The only positive is that we were able to pick it up extremely quickly. and um, yeah. I could imagine that could, would be, yeah, you kind of just think like, oh, we've got a little bit of reprie reprieve kind of there. And like, maybe it's life's going to get a little bit easier and then you get another diagnosis, which is just like, oh, yeah.
00:04:10
Speaker
always that worry I think as when you have siblings of type ones you kind of do that yeah like that finger prick kind of thing of just like I actually just did it the other night with Jimmy he was saying that he was really thirsty and um and he we we drove home from my mum's place and it's like a seven minute drive not even and he was like oh I'm busting to go to the toilet and I was like oh okay yeah Yeah, I totally understand that. And then I was like, how long this been going on for? and he's like, oh, it's just today, just today.
00:04:41
Speaker
But he was really thirsty. and But I think he was just getting sick, getting unwell, and he was just drinking a lot of water. um we did We did the finger break. It was 5.5. You know, I held my breath for that five seconds that time. And we have done the screen test with him. Not that it's 100%, but we did the screen test this year and it said that he doesn't show any antibodies. But antibodies, antibodies combi antibiotics and antibodies together. So, you know, that was a little bit of, I guess, relief as well, but still know that that things can change. So, yeah, i I can imagine when you do that finger prick, then all of a sudden there's a
00:05:19
Speaker
it's above the range and you're like, okay, off we go. Yeah, yeah I knew. i honestly knew. It's strange because you would think I would have be on it so quickly, yet it took a little while for my brain to accept that this could be what it is. I explained it away to myself, oh the bedwetting, all of it. I just i said to myself there were other reasons for it. Yeah, crazy when I think about it now, but I guess it's your body's way of, I don't know. Just slowly croaking, I guess. So, yeah, when I did the test, ah I just knew.
00:05:54
Speaker
So then, Bianca, you now kind of do a lot of work with the with the Type 1 Foundation. um When did that start? So you've obviously got newborn baby, a diagnosis, another child that's diagnosed.
00:06:08
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So that was like four years ago that Daniel was diagnosed, yeah? Yes, yes. So when did you start doing working... for the Type 1 Foundation? What sort of made you connect
Role in the Type 1 Foundation
00:06:19
Speaker
with them? and I actually came across the Type 1 Foundation back in 2017 and it was through just and a Facebook post that they had done about a Christmas party that they were running and it was free for kids. and Anyway, it was back when I didn't know anyone either except one other family that we'd connected with. So it was through...
00:06:40
Speaker
going to that, that we then started to regularly attend events. So we started off as the people that we now, that I'm now part of trying to help look after, which is really nice.
00:06:53
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And i began by just volunteering. I can't remember when that was, but I started volunteering by making up GP PACs to send to doctors with, um you know, promoting the signs. And then it was December 22, Ang approached me and asked if I would consider taking over the CarePACs program. And um I didn't even have to think twice. I was so excited then and I'm still so excited now to be doing it. I just love it.
00:07:23
Speaker
Yeah, that's so good. So for those that don't know anything about the CarePacks, can you just explain what what the CarePacks what the process is? So the care packs are designed to be sent out. So a ah parent or carer would come across our Type 1 Foundation website and apply for a free care pack for a child that's been diagnosed in the last four months. And that care pack gets sent out to that family, mainly for the child.
00:07:54
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We include practical items such as information around services that are available, type 1 learning in schools, hypo kits, medical alert bans. We put a journal in there for mum or dad.
00:08:08
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Some picture books for the child and the siblings. Free samples that we get provided from different companies such as um Type 1 Patch and Glucose Tabs.
00:08:20
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me And we just want we want that pack to be received as a really something to bring a smile to everybody and that we hope it feels like a nice hug. There's a beautiful candle in there, earrings, beanie, socks, hoodie, activity pack, usually with colouring, there's key rings. It's just a whole range of little bits and pieces to help everyone realise that they are not alone because, as you and I know, that diagnosis is incredibly lonely. No one seems to understand type 1 until they've personally dealt with it.
00:08:55
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And um this is our way, as the Foundation wanting to help people know that they're not alone and there's support there for them. That's amazing. And I have seen the the Care Pack. I don't think I ever got one for Harvey. I don't know why, but we're okay. and But I have actually seen there is so much stuff in that Care Pack It's like hundreds of dollars worth of stuff. It is. It is. It's incredibly generous and all of that is purely funded by people donating um to the foundation to enable us to, some things are donated but majority of those things are purchased by the foundation and provided free to families.
00:09:39
Speaker
So, yeah, so that's what I think is important to let people know is that when there are fundraisers and you know, like Brody doing his, you know, 36 marathons in, I meant 26, sorry, added an extra 10 for him, 26 marathons in 26 days or people doing the Kokoda or just doing the the jelly bean, like even it's just as simple as a jelly bean, you know, guess the jelly bean in the jar kind of stuff, that that money goes towards these care packages Yes. And part of it as well. So, you know, when you can actually show, know, that it's anyone that's newly diagnosed and that they've put their details into the foundation kind of website, it will go basically to you, Bianca, and then you create these care packages and then you so you ship them off within that timeframe of when when you've had the information.
CarePacks and Community Support
00:10:29
Speaker
Yes, I make each pack personalised to that child. So based on their age, gender, we just want to make it as positive as possible in what feels like quite a a not positive situation.
00:10:44
Speaker
Yeah, because I guess if if you get something in the mail, you know, when it's addressed to you, i mean, most of the time for me, it's just bills. But, yes um you know, like if you get something like a personal letter or a card, it just makes you feel seen, doesn't it? Yes, it does. Absolutely. How many care packages do you reckon that you would send? ah I don't know, what's it easier to do an average yearly or monthly or...
00:11:07
Speaker
Monthly tends to average around 30, 30 a month. So approximately 400 a year um now that we do adult ones as well. he so yeah, it's a lot and a lot goes into it. There's a lot involved. I can imagine. i can imagine.
00:11:23
Speaker
am. was with Bianca last week actually and she was loading up her car. were up in Geelong and she was loading up her car with all the stuff packages and she was back forth to the warehouse like carrying boxes and boxes. And um i think Andy actually said to me, what's what's all that stuff? And I was like, that's... um I think that's for the care packages. Yes. The local courier here knows me by name and my Australia postman tells me I get the most deliveries out of anyone in the street. And that is purely because I'm just constantly ordering different bits and pieces and it's all for care packs. Yeah.
00:12:02
Speaker
Don't ignore the four. The four early warning signs of type 1 diabetes. Excessive thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, and extreme fatigue.
00:12:12
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If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, don't wait. Get checked by a healthcare professional. Early detection and treatment are key to managing type 1 diabetes effectively.
00:12:25
Speaker
So alongside the care packs, that's not all that you do for the foundation. You were saying that you also do some of the support around the events or connecting people. Yes, I try really hard to connect families with other families living in their area with a child of a similar age.
00:12:42
Speaker
The biggest passion of mine is connecting people so that nobody feels that they're alone in this. So I will email families when there is online free events occurring, such as um the tiny tots sessions for toddlers that have been recently diagnosed, the grandparent sessions, even just the newly diagnosed sessions that are run by the foundation that offer free support to families and and letting them see that they're absolutely not alone. And if we have...
00:13:14
Speaker
ah Big events like our Christmas parties, I'll try and contact people that have recently joined the foundation and let them know what's happening around them, encourage them to get along to a mum's dinner.
00:13:26
Speaker
i think you and I would know how important it is to even just have one friendship with someone that understands what it's like can just make such a difference and be really positive.
00:13:38
Speaker
It feels like an enormous heavy load to start with. um And if you can be sharing that with somebody, it makes a big difference. i I liken it to how we so we have mother's group when we have new babies and we're not going there for the baby's benefit, we're going there for ours.
00:13:54
Speaker
And this is this is the same. Yeah, absolutely. I totally agree. And I think that with people... if they're thinking about going along to any of those events or they're a little bit nervous about it, you know, when you see them come up, I just encourage you just to take that leap and to do it because I know personally for me when I've gone to some of the Type 1 Foundation sort of events that I've gone a couple times and and then I've managed to meet like the same parent group Or they've come up and they've said, oh, you know, how's um you know how's Harvey going? more And I've only had ah one conversation with them, but they'll remember those details. Like we we tend to remember those details and those those special connections. We could all see a little bit of ourselves in them. And and also for our kids to kind of see that they're not the only one that has to wear
00:14:43
Speaker
tech on their arm or, you know, has to stop and kind of go, oh, hang on, I've got to give insulin for that before I, you know, we have lunch or. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. The events that the Type 1 Foundation holds are absolutely key, I think, for our kids in um seeing and feeling that acceptance and normality because it is normal.
00:15:04
Speaker
It's just our normal. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And I think as you, yeah, like as you but were probably reflecting reflecting back to Daisy's diagnosis and having a newborn baby and thinking like wow how how are we going to do this you know this is like but now you kind of you know you just get more confident with it I still get people say to me I don't know how you do it but of course we would of course we do it because they're you anyone would do it for their children exactly yeah and I think by making those connections and seeing how everybody else is doing it um you know you can
00:15:43
Speaker
utilise that as your own own advice too. Definitely. And it's also kind of nice to be able to send that text to to that other type 1 mum and go like, you know, what the hell? Yes, yes, I know. And talk about things that no one else gets, rage-bowl sing or my child's so high. like Yeah, why can't they come down? You know, like it's just like, yeah. Yes, yes.
00:16:10
Speaker
Yes, yes it's it is nice to be able to find those connections and i and i I feel sorry for people that haven't found that yet and I do hope they can connect with people and that's what these events are. People are, you know, type 1, I think parents and even type 1s are so willing to talk about it if you're if you're open and curious and and obviously non-judgmental. um But i've I've never found anybody that says, I don't want to talk about that, Jackie, or, you know, why don't you keep asking me questions? But i'm I'm obviously not, like, hounding them, but I'm just curious of, like, okay, what does that mean for you? And yeah particularly when you have, like, children that are younger and then then there's older type ones, I'm like, how would you manage that? Like, how do you do that? like and Absolutely. got that experience and And we only just want to learn and just create
00:17:04
Speaker
a better and safer environment for for our children as well around it. Agreed. Bianca, is there anything else that you want to share about your role with the Type One Foundation and the
Personal Story and Emotional Impact
00:17:16
Speaker
care packages? Is there any, like, have you got a particular, like, story that has ever stood out for you in the in the the three years that you've been supporting families and sending these care packages?
00:17:28
Speaker
I do, actually. i have a lot that really strike a chord with me. I think especially when I i get ones in, you know, they're the same age as what my children were and it takes me straight back to I will never forget how it feels. So empathise with how they are feeling, the parents especially. But there was one not that long ago said,
00:17:53
Speaker
It was almost, it felt like it was my story all over again. The daughter had the same name. She was the same age. They had a new baby. And I just, yeah, I'll never forget them.
00:18:05
Speaker
They don't even know who I am. Yeah. I wrote them a little note even. i just it It was just weird. so Yeah. And I think about them often. But I think about all of them. I hope that people realise that when I am making a care pack, it is not just reading a name off a list.
00:18:23
Speaker
I genuinely care about what I'm doing and I put a lot of thought into it. Yeah. Yeah, everyone at the foundation is really passionate about our families and whoever's coming across and finding the foundation. That's what we're all about. Yeah, absolutely. I'm very glad that I've found the foundation. as well. um And very glad that I've been able to connect with you. So I think that we'll wrap that up. I reckon that we've kind of covered everything we need to cover about those care packages. But I just, this episode is really for, you know, it's something that you can share out to a newly diagnosed family and explain to them how this process works and why and why it's so important to jump in early to connect and also to to that there are things there that make will make your child um or themselves feel seen and and feel special. So that's very much the core, I think, of what of what is, you know, the Type 1 Foundation and the care packages are trying to achieve here, which I think they do achieve it really well. I have seen some of the little notes that come through that's shared on the socials around, you know, a parent
00:19:38
Speaker
saying how how much these, you know, um how much these these meant to their child and and their family when they received that. So well done and keep up the good work. And thank you so much for jumping on to today's podcast. Thank you so much for having me, Jerky.
00:19:55
Speaker
My pleasure. And that's it, guys. so we will be back in 2026 with some more episodes for the Type 1 Club. and We hope that you have a very safe and happy summer and enjoy all the festivities, however you like to celebrate. And thank you so much for being here on the Type 1 Club.
00:20:16
Speaker
Take care. Bye. Thank you for tuning in to the Type 1 Club podcast. We hope you've enjoyed today's episode and gained some valuable insights.
Call to Action and How to Support
00:20:27
Speaker
If you like what you heard, be sure to subscribe to our podcast on all the platforms so you never miss an episode.
00:20:33
Speaker
We also appreciate it if you could leave us a rating and review. It really helps us to reach more listeners just like yourselves. For more updates, behind-the-scenes content and to join the conversation further, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, the Type 1 Foundation, or visit our website, type1foundation.com.au.
00:20:54
Speaker
Thanks again for listening and we will see you next time on the Type 1 Club.