Morecambe actor joins global diabetes challenge and helps raise funds for ‘life for a child’

Mahesh, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2016, is a passionate campaigner for diabetes awareness, after losing his 24-year-old niece to the condition back in May 2018.

Mahesh knows too well the challenges of living with diabetes, day in and day out - from the dangers of hypos (low blood glucose) to stress-inducing daily injections.

He took part in the #blueballoonchallenge in the lead up to World Diabetes Day on Monday November 14, in the hope of raising awareness of the complexities of a life with diabetes - as well as the dangerous consequences of remaining undiagnosed.

Mahesh said: “People don’t realise that diabetes can be a very dangerous condition. There is a serious lack of understanding, from where it comes from to how it’s treated.

"Losing my amazing niece Jasmin to the condition was devastating, but if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have been so sensitive to the symptoms I suffered that led to my diagnosis.”

He added: “Living with Type 1 Diabetes is a constant balancing act. It’s like doing everything in your daily life while keeping a balloon in the air.

"The #BlueBalloonChallenge allows other people to experience my every day and better understand Type 1 Diabetes, while also helping raise funds for children who don’t have access to proper care or insulin.”

Since his diagnosis, Mahesh has continued to work as an actor, appearing in shows and films including Cuttputlli (feature film - Hindi - Disney Plus Hotstar), Andor (Star Wars franchise) The Lost King (film currently in cinemas), The Bay (Series 3) and River City.

He has been supporting the #BlueBalloonChallenge, which kicked off last month and runs until World Diabetes Day.

Organised by Medtronic, a global leader in healthcare technology, the challenge invites members of the public to step into the shoes of those who live with diabetes by posting a photo or film themselves as they try to keep a balloon in the air, a metaphor for the constant balancing act required to manage diabetes.

For every post Medtronic will donate €5 to Life for a Child, a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing life-saving insulin and basic medical devices to children with diabetes in developing countries.

Almost half a million people across the UK and Ireland live with Type 1 Diabetes, which is a chronic condition that occurs when the body does not produce insulin resulting in excess glucose in the blood. Unlike Type 2 Diabetes, it cannot be prevented and does not develop as a result of a particular lifestyle.

To join the #BlueBalloonChallenge, simply post a video or photo of yourself keeping a balloon in the air while doing any daily activity and tag @MedtronicDiabetesUKI (Instagram) + @MedtronicDiabetes (LinkedIn)

Find out more at https://www.medtronic-diabetes.com/en-gb or check out the #BlueBalloonChallenge hashtag on Instagram for more inspiration.

For every post, Medtronic will donate €5 to Life for a Child.