Diabetic ketoacidosis symptoms: Hailey was ‘perfectly healthy’. Then she started screaming and vomiting

Seven-month-old Hayley was a ‘perfectly healthy baby’ when she went to see her family GP in Perth.

Mum Rebecca Ballingall has been told her little girl is fine.

When Hayley woke up screaming and vomiting after being put to bed for the night, Ballingall knew something was wrong.

“She was still asking for formula, but she wouldn’t take it,” she said.

“She was wetting her diapers. She began to tremble.

Distraught, Ballingall was taking Haley to the emergency room when she “passed out” in the car.

“I was freaking out,” she said.

Despite her fear, Ballingall and her husband thought little Hayley just had a virus or infection.

Doctors initially thought the same way, labeling the baby’s symptoms as gastrointestinal.

But a blood sugar check revealed that Hailey had diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening condition in people with diabetes where a lack of insulin causes harmful substances to build up in the blood.

DKA occurs when someone has high blood sugar and not enough insulin in the body to break it down.

Hayley was rushed to Perth Children’s Hospital where she spent two days in intensive care.

“That was difficult. A seven-month-old doesn’t understand that he can’t have milk because of the sugar,” Ballingol said.

“She just screamed.”

Doctors praised Ballingol’s promptness in saving her daughter’s life.

“The doctors said she would have had 24 hours if I hadn’t taken her,” she said.

“I’m glad I did it and believed it.”

Now five years old, Hayley’s diabetes “doesn’t stop her” from enjoying her childhood, equipped with her Dexcom and insulin pump.

“She’s doing really well,” Ballingall said.

“Her teachers are amazed at how brave she is.”

Navigating diabetes with a toddler learning to crawl, walk and play with an attached glucose monitor was no easy feat.

Hayley has made many trips to the hospital over the years, with Ballingall admitting that “trying to keep up with her is a challenge”.

“She doesn’t like the hospital and won’t let the nurses near her,” she said.

“She’s panicking.”

Hospital visits are difficult for her brother, too, as Haley’s stay in the ICU plays on her family’s mind.

“My son gets scared every time something goes wrong,” Ballingall said.

“He saw her in ICU and it was very scary. At that time he had just turned five years old.

The opening of the hospital’s Starlight Express Room, a drug-free escape for sick children and their families to play, provided a huge relief for the family.

“It’s good for her to have somewhere she can go and talk about things that aren’t how she feels,” Ballingall said.

“Every time she wants to get on. It’s like being at home. It allows her to be a child again.

Ballingall encouraged other families with sick children to explore what is offered by the Starlight Foundation.

“It will help you escape all the treatments and stress,” she said.

“We didn’t realize how important it was.

“You can feel lonely and they’re there to help you.”

Haley’s family is sharing their story in support of Starlight Day on May 21, which aims to raise $1 million by June 30 to help brighten the lives of 26,000 seriously ill children. To donate, visit starlight.org.au