A young Willesborough girl with type 1 diabetes has become the first child in East Kent to receive a state-of-the-art ‘omnipod’.

Eight-year-old Isabella Lewis was diagnosed with the blood sugar condition when she was two years old, sometimes needing up to eight blood tests a day.

But proud mum Martine says the active, happy little girl has never let her condition hold her back.

She said: “Isabella flies the flag for diabetes and we’re so proud she’s the first person in Kent to get an omnipod – but it’s all down to her.

“She read up about it, found out the benefits and asked her consultant if she could get one.”

The omnipod insulin management system is an all-in-one tubeless insulin pump that mimics the pancreas and is wirelessly controlled by a personal diabetes manager (PDM).

The new technology gathered attention when pop singer Nick Jonas announced he had one and the equipment has been praised for its discretion and subtlety.

Martine added: “The pump she previously had was more bulky and had wires which, as she is getting older, she felt self-conscious of. She can use the omnipod without taking off any clothes, so it’s a bit more subtle.”

There is not yet a known cause or cure for type 1 diabetes like Isabella’s, which is when the pancreas doesn’t produce any insulin at all, and managing the condition is a hugely complicated task.

Martine said: “It has got easier to manage because we have got used to it but when she was first diagnosed it was very difficult.

“But Isabella’s so proactive and knowledgeable about her condition now. She tells her teachers what she needs, makes her friends guess her blood sugar readings when she takes her tests and counts her own carbs.”

Incredibly, the Willesborough Junior School pupil doesn’t let her condition hold her back in any way.

Her mum added: “She’s very active and likes to try something new all the time.

“She’s done ballet, gymnastics, streetdance. She likes cycling and announced the other day she wants to try boxing!

“She’s a very funny, positive young lady who always has us in stitches. Of course, there are days when it gets her down but she never moans or makes a fuss, she just gets on with it.

“I’m amazed by her and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Isabella’s omnipod was funded by the Paula Carr Diabetes Centre, based at the William Harvey Hospital.

For more information about the trust visit www.paulacarrdiabetestrust.co.uk