A FOREST teenager who collapsed with type one diabetes has made a special thank you to the NHS staff who saved her life.

Alanna Carter had flu-like symptoms for several weeks before she finally collapsed in a bedroom at home in Newnham and was rushed to hospital.

Mum Julie said if it was not for local paramedics and staff at Gloucester Royal Hospital she could have lost her daughter, who is now 18.

The family raised £650 for the intensive care unit at the hospital and say they will continue to raise funds in the future.

They also put together special ‘thank you’ hampers for the paramedics and staff in the trauma and intensive care departments at the hospital.

Julie said: “We will never be able to repay the paramedics and hospital staff for what they did – until you are in that situation you don’t realise what fantastic work they do, it’s just amazing.”

Alanna collapsed on January 22 last year when her blood sugar reached dangerously low levels – although at that stage they did not realise it was because she was diabetic.

Julie said: “They say type one is hereditary but there is no history of diabetes in the family.”

Alanna was in hospital for six days and her mum – who spent the entire time at her bedside – said it was “touch and go” whether she would pull through.

All Alanna remembers of the day is waking up with nurses around her and she has since had to battle with anxiety and flashbacks.

She said: “I was ill for about four weeks and I lost weight rapidly and found it hard to swallow.

“All I remember is waking up in hospital and there were all these nurses.”

She needs four insulin injections a day to control her blood sugar and will be dependent on the medication for the rest of her life.

Julie says she still wakes at three in the morning – the time at which hospital staff did checks.

Alanna returned to her art and design studies at Gloucestershire College and passed her exams. She hopes to become a tattoo artist.

The family decided to raise funds for machinery at the intensive care unit and say they received “fantastic” support from local businesses and people to raise £650 and will continue to raise funds in future.

Julie said: “It was a close call but we’ve had fantastic support.”