In January 2015, a little girl named Kycie Jai Terry complained to her parents about a headache and painful sore throat.
Assuming she'd come down with a cold or flu, Kycie's mom Jamie rushed her to the doctor. She went home with antibiotics for strep throat, but the medication did nothing.
Kycie, who was just about to enter kindergarten in St. George, Utah, was transferred to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City. On the way to the hospital, Kycie suffered a seizure and experienced diabetic ketoacidosis.
A blood test revealed she had a blood sugar of 1,148 — which is 10 times the average for her age.
Jamie and her husband realized their daughter's strep throat diagnosis was completely and shockingly inaccurate.
But the nightmare was only beginning…
Kycie Jai Terry was a beautiful 5-year old girl from St. George, Utah. Up up until this point she was a very happy and energetic little girl who had no apparent health issues that weren't considered normal for someone her age.
In January 2015, Kycie told her parents, Jamie and Josh, that she had a headache.
Kycie gradually became more and more fatigued. She also had a stomach ache and a bad sore throat.
Assuming she came down with a cold or the flu, Jamie took Kycie to the doctor. She went home with antibiotics for strep throat, but the medication did nothing.
Kycie, who loved cheerleading and was about to enter kindergarten, was transferred to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City.
On the way to the hospital, Kycie suffered a seizure and was experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis.
A blood test revealed she had a blood sugar of 1,148, which is 10 times the average for her age.
Jamie and Josh realized their daughter's strep throat diagnosis had been completely and shockingly inaccurate.
All this time, they had no idea that Kycie had type 1 diabetes, and that it went untreated for about five nightmarish days.
At first, the symptoms of undiagnosed type 1 diabetes seem fairly innocent and gave the parents no cause for any real concern.
The "4T's" of type 1 diabetes are: toilet, thirsty, tired, and thinner. These are the signs to look out for.
Over the next several months, Kycie was in and out of the hospital.
She had to relearn everything, from sitting up to speaking — but she was triumphant.
Kycie fought hard against the disease and refused to give up.
Meanwhile, Jamie and Josh continued to post updates on Facebook about their daughter's diagnosis. It wasn't long before 40,000 people were following along and sending their constant prayers and support.
But no matter how hard that little girl fought, Kycie's conditioned unfortunately continued to decline.
She tragically passed away on July 11, 2015, in her father's arms.
Kycie's tragic death illustrates how dangerous undiagnosed type 1 diabetes can be and gives parent's a warning about watching out for the 4Ts.
Now, Kycie's story is helping to raise awareness about undiagnosed type 1 diabetes.
The Terry family documented Kycie's struggle on Facebook, and a fundraising campaign for the family has raised $55,000.
Please SHARE Kycie's powerful story with your friends on Facebook, and help spread awareness about the warning signs of diabetes.
