By Niall Christie

A FAMILY has told how the horrifying experience of being just hours from death has left a 10-year-old girl too terrified to eat.

Kaytlyne Bell, from Johnstone, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in January after being taken to hospital when her mother and sister were unable to wake her up.

Now her family are hoping to raise the money needed for medical support for Kaytlyne, which costs £97 a month.

Doctors at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley, recognised her symptoms, and she was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, where the family were told that, had the condition gone untreated, Kaytlyne would have died within 48 hours.

Now out of hospital, she is still left needing up to 12 injections a day, and to make matters worse, she is petrified of needles.

Kaytlyne’s sister Kimberley, 28, who lives in Neilston, said: “Within 24 hours she went from playing in the park with friends to not being able to stand up, and then not being able to wake her up.

“The RAH staff were phenomenal.

“They recognised what was happening straight away, they were second to none and I can’t thank them enough.

“Kay has really struggled with the injections, so much so she would try and not eat so she didn’t need one. It has got to the point where mum and I are having to pin her down to get her to take her medicine.

“This is really affecting Kaytlyne’s mental health – not just the diagnosis, but trying to cope with the needles and how dangerous the situation was for her. It’s just a lot for a little girl to take.”

The family are seeking say they have been left with no choice but to alternative ways of dealing with Kaytlyne’s condition and have asked friends, family and the public to help with the cost of a treatment not on the NHS.

The i-Port Advance Injection Port offers a different method of administering the insulin, cutting needle usage from between eight and 12 injections a day to one every three days.

They are asking for help in funding medical support for Kaytlyne that could cost them about £1,200 a year.

Her sister added: “The device and all the equipment needed comes to £97 a month. , which is a lot of money.“ It may not seem a lot of money for some people, but Kaytlyne’s mum works two jobs to support three young children with no help from our father, so the cost is not feasible. We are trying to sort a long-term solution to our situation.”

The family’s JustGiving page went live on Monday and within a few hours had raised £430 of the £500 target set.

To donate to the online appeal, see justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kimberley-mclaughlan