{"id":58734,"date":"2025-05-13T14:45:56","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T14:45:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/?p=58734"},"modified":"2025-05-13T14:45:56","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T14:45:56","slug":"mom-rus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/?p=58734","title":{"rendered":"Mom Rus."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>After her son\u2019s shocking diagnosis, one Mississippi mother made it her mission to raise a child who isn\u2019t afraid to speak up about his condition<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en33.usnews.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/marlee-brandon-son-bain-brandon-050125-tout-14438847739b48528eab7af14529eef8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9766\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>A Mississippi mother shares her emotional journey after her one-year-old son was unexpectedly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Marlee Brandon opens up about the early days of fear, learning, and the overwhelming responsibility of managing his condition<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Today, she\u2019s focused not only on his care, but on teaching him to understand his diabetes and speak about it with confidence as he grows<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A parent can always tell when something isn\u2019t quite right with their child, even if the signs are small and easy to dismiss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Six days after her son Bain\u2019s first birthday, Marlee Brandon, 28, decided to take him to urgent care after she noticed he was grumpier than usual and cutting his bottom teeth. It was there that Bain was diagnosed with a bilateral ear infection and sent home with a few antibiotics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The toddler\u2019s symptoms, however, suddenly worsened on the ride home. \u201cHe could not stop vomiting, but was drinking all the water\/breastmilk he could get, was very short of breath with labored breathing, and eventually just had no energy to keep his head up,\u201d Brandon tells PEOPLE exclusively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What followed was a frantic trip to the emergency room, where fear gave way to shock as her son faced a diagnosis that would reshape their lives overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Aug. 16, 2024, Bain was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. A visit to the emergency room revealed he was suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis \u2013 a life-threatening condition that resulted in the family being airlifted to a local state children\u2019s hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI immediately went into shock,\u201d Brandon recalls. \u201cWhen you are taking your infant son to an ER because he is sick, you are assuming something like strep throat, RSV, COVID. I never expected such a life-changing diagnosis at that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bain remained in the ICU for three days as they corrected his sugars and closed his gap. In the meantime, the young mom and her husband, Chandler Brandon, spent several days on a specialized education floor \u2013 learning how to care for Bain\u2019s new medical needs with confidence and clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I was in the med-helicopter with him in the back heading to the ICU, I think I finally just accepted that this is our new life,\u201d she shares. \u201cI will ultimately do anything to raise awareness and advocate for him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marlee gives her husband credit for managing their son\u2019s diabetes in those first difficult weeks. It took her time to find the strength, held back by the heartbreak of knowing she\u2019d have to cause her child pain to keep him alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en33.usnews.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/marlee-brandon-son-bain-brandon-050125-3-f77182e5b3a543189a3c78214f1b1f6e.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9767\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In hindsight, Marlee now realizes that Bain had been showing clear signs of type 1 diabetes \u2013 such as excessive urination, increased thirst, and noticeable weight loss \u2013 but as a new mother, she had assumed the changes were just part of normal growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is normal and wanted for infants\/young toddlers to drink water, have wet diapers,\u201d she says. \u201cHe was transitioning from a crawling baby to walking while also getting taller, so I assumed he is losing weight because of being more mobile.\u201d It was tough for her to see the signs, especially since she and her husband have no immediate family with a history of type 1 diabetes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOn my husband\u2019s side of the family, he has second, third, and fourth cousins with T1D,\u201d she reveals. \u201cI get lots of questions about me having gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with Bain, and the answer is no. Bain\u2019s T1D was triggered by an illness, but he did have a family history of autoimmune as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The day Bain was diagnosed, Marlee quit her job at an outpatient pediatric therapy clinic as a speech language pathologist. \u201cAs much as people say \u2018your son can have a normal life,\u2019 it truly just is not possible,\u201d she emphasizes. \u201cI cannot send him to a daycare and trust that they take care of his T1D like I can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her life now revolves around managing Bain\u2019s condition. She and her husband constantly monitor his Dexcom readings, count carbs for every meal and snack, and do their best to give their son a joyful, carefree childhood. \u201cT1D burnout is real and it\u2019s because it truly takes every amount of energy you have to be a pancreas for your child,\u201d she shares. \u201cNo two days are the same.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en33.usnews.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/marlee-brandon-son-bain-brandon-050125-1-a8ceecf33e4146418a126a4f7f5af2d1.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9768\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Like any parents of a one-year-old, they juggle the usual routines, but with added steps like pump and sensor site changes and timing meals around insulin. \u201cHe has worn a Dexcom since discharge from his inpatient stay at diagnosis. It is a lifesaver, truly,\u201d Marlee reveals. \u201cThey are not perfect by any means, but just the mental stability it helps you have as parents\u2026is top notch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marlee admits it will be difficult for her to release certain responsibilities to someone else as her son gets older. \u201cI worry about him aging and going to school where someone will have to take care of him,\u201d she tells PEOPLE. \u201cIt just is hard to let go of control when it\u2019s your child\u2019s life in their hands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using her training as a speech language pathologist, Marlee is handing over strength and knowledge to her son about his condition from a young age. In a viral TikTok, she is seen discussing type 1 diabetes with Bain as a way to promote early awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI know the foundations of language, so I know what works and what does not. I have always talked to him about everything, trying to grow his receptive and expressive language,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo many people think babies \u2018can\u2019t learn\u2019 and \u2018can\u2019t understand,\u2019 but it shows that they can learn and understand complex topics. Talk on their level, communicate using simple words and phrases, talk a lot and about everything. This will change his perception of this disease since he can understand why and what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marlee wants her son to grow up unafraid of his diabetes and aware of what managing it involves. She and her husband made it a priority to help him feel safe and comfortable during site changes or finger pricks. Like any parent, she hopes he\u2019ll grow into a confident, self-sufficient adult \u2014 one who lives a long, healthy life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By sharing Bain\u2019s journey, Marlee and her son have not only received love and support but also a great amount of knowledge through the T1D community. \u201cThere are so many creators that showcase their life with T1D, show things they have learned that medical professionals just don\u2019t teach you,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By welcoming new perspectives and meeting new people, Marlee feels less alone and isolated. \u201cEveryone on TikTok truly \u2018just gets it\u2019 and that always helps me after a bad night of\u2026 stubborn high blood sugar that we can not get down.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After her son\u2019s shocking diagnosis, one Mississippi mother made it her mission to raise a child who isn\u2019t afraid to speak up about his condition A parent&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58734"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=58734"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58735,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58734\/revisions\/58735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=58734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=58734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulsperry.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=58734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}