Diabetic GOSH patient with insulin allergy saved by new technology

A patient at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has just become the first child in the UK, and the fifth in the world, to be fitted with a second generation DiaPort System, adapted to deliver insulin directly into the abdomen, bypassing the skin.

Taylor Banks was referred to GOSH in 2015, aged seven, after hospitals in charge of his care ran out of options in treating the combination of his type 1 diabetes and severe skin allergy to insulin.

Taylor was first diagnosed with diabetes aged two. He was rushed to hospital unconscious and treated with insulin. The insulin treated the symptoms of his diabetes, but on receiving the treatment he had a severe allergic reaction to the drug.

Mum Gema said,

“Straight after taking the injections he would go into a trance-like state, he was like a zombie, unable to communicate and function. We switched Taylor to an insulin pump hoping it would help, but then he started breaking out with painful red welts all over his body. It was so upsetting because nothing we were trying to do was helping to take the pain away. These welts eventually turned into permanent areas of abnormally sunken skin, into which no insulin could be given.”

Taylor’s symptoms worsened, until he was in constant pain, sleep deprived with areas of abnormally sunken skin increasing over his body. His parents were worried about his erratic sugar levels and had to check on him every two hours through the night to make sure he didn’t slip into unconsciousness.

Clinicians conducted further testing and discovered Taylor’s allergy was only skin deep, and soon after was referred to GOSH.

Dr Rakesh Amin, Consultant in Endicrinology at GOSH said, “Taylor’s quality of life was so poor and his prognosis so bleak that, to not find a solution to this allergy was not an option. “

The endocrine team explored all medical options including various immunotherapies, none of which worked. But in 2017 Dr Amin identified the second generation DiaPort System, designed with added safety mechanisms to greatly reduce, infection risk as a potential option to treat Taylor’s condition.

In a UK first, this second generation DiaPort, which is surgically placed on the skin, connects an insulin pump device to the abdominal cavity, so the drug bypasses Taylor’s skin completely. Taylor was successfully fitted with the device last month.

Dad Scott says:

“It’s still early days but we’ve already noticed the changes. Most importantly Taylor’s blood sugar levels are significantly lower and much more balanced.

“He isn’t in any pain, he hasn’t had any reaction in his skin and he’s sleeping better. For the first time Taylor identified on his own when he was having a hypo, which is just brilliant.

“This progression means everything to us. We’re so grateful to Dr Amin and GOSH and to all of the nurses and doctors who have helped Taylor. I just hope now that this will help him to have a chance at being a normal little boy, back in school and playing with his friends.

“He’s missed out on so much because he’s been so ill for so long, I hope this DiaPort will help Taylor get his childhood back.”