A WOMAN from Caldicot who has been living with Type 1 diabetes for almost 25 years has taken on the One Million Step Challenge for charity Diabetes UK Cymru.

Ebony Hussey, 28, was diagnosed with the condition aged three. She is taking part to raise greater awareness of the challenges of life with the condition, increase her fitness and raise funds for the charity.

The challenge takes place between July 1 and September 30 and invites people to get out of their comfort zone by taking one million steps over three months and get sponsored for every stride.

Ms Hussey, who works for an insurance company, will have to walk more than 10,000 steps a day to reach her million.

Describing her life with the condition, she said: “I became unwell when I was three. Luckily my mum spotted the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes straight away as my brother, Mitch, had been diagnosed with Type 1 four years earlier.

“My parents tested my blood sugar levels using his equipment and took me straight to hospital.”

She added: “Although I’ve been living with Type 1 diabetes for almost 25 years, I still have ups and downs. I struggled as a teenager and just wanted to be ‘normal’.

“Managing my diabetes through pregnancy and raising my son, Theodore, was harder than I ever expected, and lack of awareness is still a big problem. People stare when I am taking medication or say, ‘you can’t eat that, you’re diabetic’. Now I try and educate people as much as possible.”

Type 1 diabetes is a serious, lifelong condition where blood glucose levels are too high because the body can’t make a hormone called insulin. No one knows exactly what causes it, but it’s not to do with being overweight and it isn’t currently preventable. It is treated by daily insulin doses, taken either by injections or via an insulin pump.

People with Type 1 diabetes need to check their blood glucose levels using a testing device several times a day. This is important because over a long period of time, high glucose levels in the blood can lead to the development of complications. But with the right treatment and care, the long-term effects of diabetes and high glucose levels can be managed.

Ms Hussey normally walks around 4,000 steps a day, but has more than doubled that for the challenge. She said: “My partner, Lee, family, friends and colleagues have all been really supportive. I’m feeling confident about hitting my target and getting fitter.”

To sponsor Ebony, visit

https://step.diabetes.org.uk/pages/ebony