to think shops and cafes should give free sugery drinks to diabetic people in emergency situations?

[ikeaismylocal]

I saw a mum with 3 children having what looked like the beginnings of a fit at a shopping centrer today, everyone else was walking past ignoring her ( whole other thread) I stopped and tried to talk to her but she was very confused and kept trying to tell me her mobile number. I ran into a shop and asked them to call an ambulance ( I had no phone or money, dp had all my things in ds's pushchair and I was meeting him at the car, I'd stopped to go to the toilet)

Her children were about 6 months, 2 and 5, the poor 5 year old was terrified and wouldn't say anything but I chatted to her and told her everything would be ok and after a while she told me her mum was diabetic.

I ran to the nearest cafe and explained there was a diabetic woman who needed a sugary drink and could I have a coke and come back and pay after as I had no money, the lady gave me a coke and I ran back, the diabetic mum drank the coke but was still shaking and sluring her words, I ran back to the cafe and explained and asked for another coke, the lady said no she wouldn't give me anything as I hadn't paid, I'm 7 months pregnant so running isn't something I look at ease doing, I also don't think I look like a kid trying to get some free coke.

I went to a shop further away and they gave me 2 cans of coke. The diabetic lady recovered quite quickly once she had drunk the coke.

Aibu to think that shops and cafes should give free sugery drinks if they are needed?

I'm pretty horrified by some of the responses on this thread. I wish people were better educated about diabetes, or at least would not post judgmental crap about a condition they know very little about.

I have worked in diabetes care for 15 years, with adults & children.

Sadly, hypoglycaemia unawareness happens. No fault of the person with diabetes, it's not "mismanaging" or "miscalculating". It's just the sad consequence of diabetes.

For our patients who have severe hypo unawareness, we use insulin pumps, continuos glucose monitoring devices which detect hypos, and refer for consideration of islet cell transplantation.

OP, i don't think it's unreasonable for retailers to provide sugary drinks in emergencies. I wonder what kind of world we live in when someone would not assist in an emergency.

No.get it right.no one has said they wouldn't help in an emergency
Op was quick thinking and acted appropriately
But at moment,retailers don't make routinely make provision for giving drinks away n emergency

I don't think retailers should provide freebies for diabetics

I am more surprised that you had absolutely no money not even a card?

The second place that gave me the coke said don't worry about paying they just hope the lady got better soon. I assumed the first place would be paid by the security guards, I would have gone back to pay had the security guards not reassured me they'd sort it out.

I'm saddened by some of the comments, no one chooses to have a chronic disease that involves injecting themself everyday. Her 5 year old dd was so terrified, I'm sure the mum is dealing with the aftermath of the situation, probably feeling guilty and frustrated, no mother would choose to put their children through that experience, she had bought uppers, she dropped them, we have all dropped things.

A chemist would have been a good idea but there wasn't one nearby. The way she was shaking was just like my ex shock before he would go into a full seizure, Iwanted to get her something sugary asap to avoid he fitting which would have been dangerous for her and really scary for her children so I ran to the first place that sold food that I saw.

I am more surprised that you had absolutely no money not even a card?

We were shopping, I had my purse and phone in the nappy bag on the pushchair, I needed to use the toilet but ds was getting grumpy so dp took ds (+pushchair and purse/phone) back to the car, I was going to wee and then walk back to the car, no need for my purse. That's why I had no money, I had nothing with me at all.

This sort of thing would get abused terribly, you know that - freebies for diabetics

Do you usually go out with no money or cards?

It was great that you helped

It's not about 'getting a freebie' though. It's something to help in an emergency situation. Most diabetics will not ever require a 'freebie' but it would be good to know that, should an emergency situation arise, retailers would be obliging.

How do the retailers know who is genuine?

"They have glucose solution in case of such emergency , which is the best option."

A glucose solution really isn't the best option. For a start, it certainly isn't as nice to drink down as our preferred options of Coke, fresh orange juice or Lucozade! Please don't delay helping someone to treat a hypo by thinking you need proper medicine when most of us could find something suitable in our kitchen cupboards.

I don't think free drinks should be used in place of ideally bringing or buying your own drinks but if a situation occurs where for whatever reason ( bad luck, disorganisation, mismanagement) a person requires a ssugary drink and there is no other option a shop should provide the person with a drink.

Just think if that was the only cafe nearby, if they had refused a drink and the woman had ended up fitting and seriously hurting herself how bad the cafe would look, it's not the cafe's fault that the woman needed help but I believe it is common decency to help people if they need help and you are in the position to help.

I'd have given her anything I had if I had anything with me, posh chocolates, drinks, anything as she needed it more than me.

How do the retailers know who is genuine?

They wouldn't, but the occasional loss of a can of coke, especially if it's a cafe/restaurant which uses taps to make fuzzy drinks which cost pennies is worth it when you'd be preventing a medical emergency when it really was a diabetic person with hypoglycemia.

I worked in a cafe for two summers when I was at university, I was never asked to help with a hypoglycemic situation, it's not llike it's a daily occurrence.

goblinchild have you any idea of how offensive and judgemental you sound?

I'd also warrant that you know fuck all about diabetes. You can do everything you're supposed to by managing your condition and still have a hypo that comes out of nowhere.

OP, well done on recognising the signs and your quick thinking. It was lovely that you helped.

Well done for helping, OP.

Oblomov - I like the sound of the socialist nurse.

DS was 3 when he fell into nettles in a park, the hottest day of that summer. We went to the first cafe near the park to ask for water and were refused. Ten paces away there was a newsagents with drinks etc. We weren't avoiding payment but you panic a bit and go to the nearest place. (We complained in writing later, got an apologetic call from the manager.)

yanbu op

sorry lady. was on i-phone!! predictive text. urrrggg.

Pump SPECILIST Nurse

Socialist is probably more fun!!

SPECIALIST

why does it post, before I've finished checking my spelling. Drives me nuts.
And then it goes and changes things like 'in' to 'on'. Sooo irritating.

I am type 1 diabetic and I can see that maybe the shop person would be worried about getting into trouble.
Otoh I can't believe it's something that is regularly abused. I worked in a newsagent for 3 years when younger and no one ever asked me for something sugary for a diabetic.

Well done everyone on here who has been grossly judgemental. You try having a condition that is unpredictable 24/7 and where what you are treating it with van easily kill you. It's fucking difficult. Weather affects it, heat affects it, illness affects it, hormones affect it, exercise affects it, stress affects it etc etc etc. It is impossible to predict at all times. So congratulations to all those who are saying she should manage her condition better - apparently you manage your lives perfectly. I hope you never need anyone's help.

I think YABU .You told the shop you would come back and pay, knowing you had no means to do so?

do you think the security guards would really pay the shop? where would they get the money from? why should they dip into their own pocket?
Why did the patient not pay when she had recovered?

Really shocked that people are being so unsympathetic.

I think the 'patient' was probably busy trying to sort herself and her children out.
Well done OP, you did well.

My intention was to make sure the lady was ok and then go and find dp ( and my purse and phone) at the car and go back and pay. Poor dp thought I'd gone into labour as I took so long. I assume the security guards have a relationship with the shops and could probably go and verify the situation and reimburse if necessary. What would the cost price of a can of cola be? 20, 30 pence if that. I would have thought the people who run the shopping center would have a budget for unexpected small costs.

Much more than 20 or 30 pence. Small bottle is £1.30

If it was a plastic bag for a lung puncture, a bunch of napkins or tissues to compress a wound, would people be saying they understand a retailer refusing because of the cost?

Is it because it's a diabetic, or because it's a drink, that people are saying that it's quite understandable not to help?

This type of situation can cause death, I think? That's right isn't it? I don't really understand some of the answers on this thread, really. They seem callous to me.

Even seems to be an implication that if OP couldn't pay for anything sugary then she shouldn't have approached anyone else on behalf of the woman. That seems an unusual approach.

I would help and I would ask (or ask someone else to go and ask) for whatever was needed if someone was in a medical situation where they needed help, especially with 3 young children there one of them getting distressed.

Why would the security guards pay?