Escroqueuse, an original album on the daily life of diabetes
Or how to deconstruct preconceived ideas about the chronic disease of the century
Published on November 12, 2024
3 minutes
Copyright Ana Waalder et Mikhaël Allouche/ Editions Delcourt
Ana Waalder and Mikhaël Allouche have teamed up to write and illustrate the story of a diabetic child, from the onset of the disease to its appropriation by the character who has become a young adult. From a chronic disease that casts a shadow over daily life, this album shows that it is possible to find ways to overcome the obstacles inherent in diabetes and live life to the full. The authors talk about their motivations for embarking on the creation of this album.
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You have been living with diabetes since the age of 3, and now you and your partner Mikhaël Allouche, illustrator and comic book author, are publishing an album. What motivated this adventure?
AW & MA : We were fed up! We were fed up with being confronted with ignorance. Whether it's family, friends, doctors... as long as diabetes is not experienced, no one can imagine the burden that the disease imposes every day. All too often, diabetics are subjected to mockery, injunctions and unsolicited, and above all uninformed, advice! We often associate diabetes with food, and this association leads us to believe that we deserve our illness, or that all we have to do is change our eating habits to stop being ill!
So we decided to create a story that takes the reader into the life of a diabetic child and her quest until she becomes a young adult. Escroqueuse follows the story of a little girl's mischievous struggle with diabetes. She finds stratagems to reassure those around her, because she feels guilty about worrying them so much. This child tries to grows up with diabetes, not against it.
Another imaginary character accompanies the little girl, worthy of Hollywood westerns, who confronts the issues head-on and, unable to accept her illness, sets out to find a miracle cure.The main message is that it is possible to find ways of overcoming illness, making it your own and living life to the full.
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copyright Ana Waalder et Mikhaël Allouche/ Editions Delcourt
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copyright Ana Waalder et Mikhaël Allouche/ Editions Delcourt
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copyright Ana Waalder et Mikhaël Allouche/ Editions Delcourt
On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, you meet Air Liquide Healthcare employees. What would you like to share with the teams who support people living with diabetes at home around the world?
AW & MA: People living with diabetes shouldn't feel guilty about what's happening to them. Your teams have the power to appease patients by being attentive to their needs in a holistic way. Poor adherence is first and foremost a rejection of the disease, not a whim. And the refusal is there because the illness involves huge life changes
Caregivers also play a vital role. It's very difficult to cope alone, whatever your age. As a diabetic patient, you need to be surrounded by people who know what to do in the event of hypoglycemia and, better still, who understand what you are going through. There are times when we can no longer control what happens to us, despite the fact that disease management imposes constant control on us. The caregiver is the one who finds the resources and means to soothe the patient's fear of being dispossessed of himself or herself for a few moments.
