‘The Breakfast Club’ is the story of diabetes in pregnancy in Ireland. In a weekly, serialized, online graphic novel, we will follow the lives of women attending a Breakfast Club for women who have received a diagnosis of diabetes during their pregnancy. We will explore their experiences, from having a Glucose Tolerance Test, to meeting other women in the Breakfast Club, to figuring out how to use a glucometer, to the trials and tribulations associated with diet and exercise plans, to taking part in a research study. We will cover the whole experience, from the trivial to the serious. We will explore their apprehensions, their hopes, their frustrations and joy.
The script will be developed by interviewing a wide variety of women who have gestational and pregestational diabetes in HRB Mother and Baby CTN sites across Ireland, by talking to them in depth about their experiences. These interviews will be used as the basis for the script, using as much detail and quoting verbatim where possible.
Artist Fiona Carey will illustrate this story. Fiona has previously worked with the HRB Mother and Baby CTNI during the CREATE exhibition, where her work, ‘Everyday Breastfeeding’ resonated strongly with women, of diverse ages, ethnicities and social groups, who saw themselves in her work.
We hope that all women will be able to see themselves in the characters and story of ‘The Breakfast Club’.