Pictures: Tony Nyberg
Te Awamutu mum Ana Hutchins juggles more than most – diabetes, failing kidneys, and an online community she uplifts and supports while trying to nurture herself.
The 36-year-old radiates beauty and bubbliness, but the reality behind her smile is hidden.
“A lot of what I’m battling with is invisible, so people tend to feel shocked when they find out,” she tells Woman’s Day. “I look well on the outside, but it’s a completely different story inside or behind closed doors.”
Ana, who is of Waikato, Ngāti Pāoa and Rongowhakaata descent, has type 1 diabetes and stage five kidney disease, which leaves her with extreme fatigue. She works part-time but plans her days around naps and has “mum guilt” for not always keeping up with her active sons, Noah, nine, and Isaac, four.
While her “wee beans”, aka kidneys, have just 17% function, that’s deemed “stable”. It’s not dire enough for either a transplant or dialysis, which usually happens under 15%.
When the time comes, she’d prefer a transplant over dialysis. Her “incredibly selfless” mum Ange, 63, and sister Michelle, 41, have also spent the past year doing donor testing. Michelle is a match and while Ange is waiting on the test results, doctors expect she’ll match and donate first.
“Mum is not going to be of an age where she could donate later down the track, so we’re trying to utilise her first,” explains Ana. “She’s a mother – all she wants to do is save me. But my sister has young kids to think about. One kidney lasts 10 to 15 years, so if I need another one in life, we know my sister is a match.
“Unfortunately, no one has a crystal ball to offer me a timeline, which means I’m currently living in the unknown. Although growth stems from the unknown, I find it a really uncomfortable place to be in.”
Reflecting on where her health journey began, Ana says she was 11 when diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Contrary to popular belief, it’s an autoimmune disease and doesn’t come from eating too much sugar.
Back then, she had no role models or online technology to guide her. Later, when she went on a six-year overseas sabbatical, Ana says, “Living life took precedence over my health. It was a decision I will forever regret.”
Not managing her condition correctly upped her risk of chronic illnesses that overlap with diabetes. When she returned from travel and became pregnant, things became worse.
Ana had a high-risk pregnancy and gave birth two months early. She battled preeclampsia and temporary loss of vision for nearly a fortnight before being treated successfully with eye injections.
“I couldn’t even see my son when he was born,” she recalls. “It was nuts.”
Doctors also told Ana she had chronic kidney disease.
“Becoming a first-time mum was hard enough. Throw in all the complications and it was extremely overwhelming! But to this day, I still believe that my big boy was sent to save me. I had to change my life for this small human who needed me.”
Those life changes – and her highs and lows – are documented on her public Instagram page, where she guides others on similar health journeys.
“Most of my following are diabetics or renal patients. But there are also a lot of parents of children with type 1 diabetes,” she tells. “It’s also good for them to use me as an example of what can go wrong. Then, they can show their children how serious diabetes is. If I had a ‘me’ to look up to when I was younger, I would tell a different story today.”
In addition to her online community, Ana’s sons keep her focused. While Isaac knows she has diabetes, and is aware of her insulin pump and that she needs a juice box when she goes low, he’s too young to understand much else. Noah knows more.
“He has to be the most emotionally intelligent nine-year-old I know,” she boasts.
“I try to create a safe space for him to express his thoughts and feelings, especially when discussing something as significant as a transplant.
“Balancing honesty and age-appropriate information has been tricky, but I try to make him feel supported while allowing him to process his feelings.”
Her goal for the future is to have a successful live donor transplant and she dreams of the day she can get some normalcy back into her life. Right now, she’s working with a renal psychologist who offers great perspectives and “flips the script in my mind a lot”.
Ana admits, “Looking back at how far I’ve come, I am so proud of myself.
“The determination to rise after each setback is a powerful demonstration of resilience. I have this refusal not to give up. I have two boys who need a mum. If that’s not a reason to fight my biggest fight, then I don’t know what it is.”
This November’s theme for Diabetes Action Month is “Don’t Sugar Coat Diabetes”, aimed at busting myths about diabetes to reduce stigma, while helping people understand their personal risk factors. To find out more, visit diabetesactionmonth.org.nz.
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