Preparing for a Disaster When You Have a Diabetic Child Hi, I’m Dr. Fran Cogen, an expert in childhood and adolescent diabetes. Being prepared for any abnormal circumstances, it’s very important when your child has a chronic illness such as diabetes. Think of examples such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, etcetera, it is important to have everything ready, should you have an unforeseen natural disaster. Keep medicine in a safe place. Know where it is at all times. Some people used tackle boxes, other people used backpacks, some people keep earthquake supplies for example in trashcans outside they’re home. Think ahead if you’ve lived in a earthquake prone area, you might want to keep things that do not have to be refrigerated outside in the trash can or another safe place. Another important item is to have medical records at hand at all times. If you become displaced, it is important to know what insulin your child is taking so that if for some reasons, they cannot contact the caregiver, you’ll have that information on hand. Extra medicine and supplies once again are key. If you don’t have redundant supplies and lose a vial of insulin, you maybe stocked because the pharmacies might not be able to have the medication because they’re in the middle of the natural disaster. Lastly, please keep prescriptions with labels so that pharmacies know that they have been prescribed by a doctor, as well as, the doctor’s phone number should you need to get a hold in case of emergency. There should be a doctor on-call or healthcare professional on-call at all times. Should you have any further questions, I would strongly recommend that you talk to your own healthcare professional for specific information related to your geographical area and ideas they have for your own area that is prone to specific natural disasters. As always, check the websites for information but they must be trusted. Good luck.