kesgrave: Agitated, sleepy and drinking lots, Jacob Cumberland’s parents thought he was just acting like any normal toddler.

But unable to shake the feeling something was wrong with their son, Gareth Cumberland and Helen Rinder of Kesgrave, took Jacob into Ipswich Hospital.

There doctors diagnosed the tot with tonsillitis and prescribed him antibiotics. But days later Jacob was drifting in and out of consciousness.

Back at the Heath Road trust a nurse tested his blood sugar levels, which were too high to record on the chart. Jacob was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

Mr Cumberland said: “At first I felt like I was grieving. But then I was glad, other children face cancer and other diseases, this is something he can live with.

“It is hard having to inject him five times a day and hearing him say ‘no daddy’ and ‘please daddy no’, it can be heartbreaking.”

The 27-year-old called for blood sugar levels to be tested routinely in young children.

“The symptoms are really hard to spot,” he added. “Jacob was irritable, drinking and weeing lots – all things you expect of a baby.

“We just felt something was wrong, you know your child, don’t take risks always get them checked out and suggest diabetes to the doctor.”

To mark World Diabetes Day, today, leading charity Diabetes UK is launching the new campaign The 4T’s – toilet, thirsty, tired and thinner – is aimed at raising awareness of Type 1 diabetes in youngsters.

Barbara Young, chief executive of the charity said: “We need to get the message across that if you have a child or if you work with children, you need to make it your business to know the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes.

“We hope the 4 Ts will make them easier to remember and so help ensure children with the condition get diagnosed at the right time.”