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Seventeen years ago, Brit Mattie Hansing and her family were living in Dubai when her mum took her into A&E instead of school one morning for a quick check-up. The nine year old had seemed a “little off” for some time. She had started losing weight and going to the bathroom more and more during the night even when she wasn’t drinking water.

After just one urine test, this quick check-up turned into a 10-day hospital stay and a life-changing diagnosis of type one diabetes. Mattie said: “In many ways, I consider myself one of the fortunate ones… I was diagnosed before my organs began to shut down, which is sadly a common scenario for many individuals with late-detected type 1.

“Type 1 diabetes can be extremely difficult to detect in children, especially in places like Dubai

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