To the young lady responsible

To the young lady responsible for the diabetes cards,

I would like to thank you on two counts:

Firstly for asking for these cards - your Mum was really fun to work with and I am glad you like the results.

But secondly, and more importantly: For reassuring me that when people don't listen to me, it isn't my fault.

You may not know this, but when I was chatting to your Mum she said how you were bright and perfectly able to speak up for yourself, but that sometimes you found it difficult because people would assume they knew better, or just not listen.

Well, ME TOO!! Sometimes it's like I can't get people to understand, even though I know what I'm saying is right. I hate it. It makes me feel small inside, and it can be a bit scary when what I'm saying is important and if they do the wrong thing it could hurt me or make me worse. Do you find that people not listening makes you feel less confident about speaking up next time you need to? I do.

So it is very reassuring to find that someone else with a completely different condition finds the same. It isn't because of us, it isn't because of our conditions - it's because people are people. And sometimes people aren't good at listening.

I am really glad that your keyring cards help other people listen to what you have to say, just like mine do for me. I think perhaps the fact that they are written down and look official makes people take what they say seriously. And perhaps the little stickmen make the message happier so it gets into people's brains more easily.

Either way, I hope you are proud of yourself for your part in creating these cards which can help lots of other people like us be heard and to approach life's challenges with confidence.

Thanks again,

Hannah Ensor.

[Note: photo used with kind permission of the young lady's parents.]

[See here for the full range of keyring cards, covering a wide range of topics including diabetes, pain, fatigue, hearing difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders.]