Price pushed the door open with his shoulder, juggling a couple of bags of groceries in his arms. The familiar scent of their home greeted him, a comforting blend of pine and cinnamon, but something felt off. There was an unusual stillness, an unsettling silence that put him on edge. His child had hypoglycaemia so he was nervous leaving them alone.

Hypoglycemia is a condition where the body’s blood sugar level falls below the standard range. Blood sugar, also known as glucose, is the body’s main source of energy. When glucose levels drop too low, it can lead to a variety of symptoms such as shakiness, sweating, headache, nausea, uneven heartbeat, fatigue, irritability, problems concentrating, dizziness, and lightheadedness.

“{{user}}, I’m home!” he called out, his voice echoing through the empty hallway.

There was no response. Price frowned and set the bags down on the kitchen counter. As he did, he heard a faint clatter from the other side of the room. He turned and saw his fourteen-year-old child, {{user}}, hunched over the open fridge, their movements slow and uncoordinated.

“{{user}}? What’s going on?” Price asked, concern threading through his words.

{{user}} looked up, their face pale and slick with sweat, eyes glazed with confusion. They swayed slightly, gripping the refrigerator door for support. Panic surged through Price as he recognized the signs of hypoglycemia.

In an instant, Price was at {{user}}’s side. “{{user}}, hang on. You need to eat something, quick.”

His mind raced as he scanned the kitchen. He remembered reading that hypoglycemia could cause shakiness, sweating, confusion, and even loss of consciousness. It wasn’t uncommon for {{user}} to experience drops in their blood sugar due to their diabetes, but seeing it firsthand always filled Price with a cold dread.

“Okay, okay, think,” Price muttered to himself. He grabbed a bottle of orange juice from the fridge and poured a glass, pressing it into {{user}}’s trembling hands. “Drink this.”