Local woman in exciting diabetes breakthrough

A Meath woman with Type I Diabetes is the first person in Ireland to be linked up to revolutionary new technology, which acts like an artiifical pancreas!
Mary Vaughan from Navan was linked up to the next ‘breakthrough toward an artificial pancreas’ to help her achieve better management of her diabetes.
It has completely changed her life as she was defined as a ‘brittle diabetic’ as it was very difficult to control her blood/sugar levels.
“I was not able to recognise the lows for years and these can be very dangerous and can result in a fatal attack. They generally happened at night and thanks be to God, my husband usually woke up to alert me,” she said.
Mary was recently fitted with the new MiniMed® 640G System at the Mater Private Diabetes Centre.
Developed by Medtronic, it is the first diabetes management system in the world that mimics the pancreas’s ability to predict low glucose levels in patients and automatically prevent severe hypoglycemic attacks (low-blood sugar attacks, often called ‘hypos’), before they happen.
The pumps technology automatically stops insulin being delivered within a 30-minute period before glucose levels reach a dangerous low. It can then resume insulin delivery once the dropping glucose levels recover, avoiding a rebound high sugar attack.  
Mary said that the new technology had really changed her life, as she does not have to worry about her blood sugar levels and now, her husband gets a good night’s sleep.
Mary who works as a Special needs Assistanct in Colaiste na Mi and is married to John Grant, the principal of O’Carolan College, Nobber.
She has been a diabetic for 37 years and until now could not be left alone at night as she could never recognise when her blood sugars were going down, which is very dangerous
She was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when she was working as an au pair and studying Italian in Rome in 1988.
It had a major impact on Mary’s life. The risk of not recognising an episode that could actually result in death was always a fear for her and for her family.
The hassle of packing a bag full of insulin and needles for the holiday trip and the questions by airport security, took its toll as well.
“Eight years ago, I got my first insulin pump, which helped me manage the diabetes and cut out the endless tasks of injecting myself every day. Last month, Dr Claire Gavin at the  Mater Private Hospital Diabetes Centre arranged for me to be the first in Ireland to have this latest technology in insulin pumps.
“The difference is amazing, as the sensor continuously monitors my tissue glucose levels with accuracy and anticipates dangerous fluctuations in my blood glucose ,” Mary explained.
The pump which provides her with a continuous supply of insulin is just under her skin and has to be changed every three days. The new sensor she has been fitted with is changed every six days and it detects when her blood sugar levels are falling low and stopped the pump from dispensing insulin until levels are normal again.
Mary is a patient at the newly established diabetes centre at the Mater Private Hospital, which specialises in the treatment of all types of diabetes and is founded on the principle of managing diabetes through patient participation, education and empowerment.
Dr Claire Gavin, Specialist Endocrinologist at the Mater Private said that Mary required constant monitoring in order to avoid hypoglycaemia.
“Managing hypoglycaemia is one of the biggest challenges of managing diabetes. We now have the ability to better protect Mary and other patients against lows throughout the day and night with multiple low-limit settings that are tailored specifically to each person’s needs.” 6