A GLITTERING national awards ceremony awaits young film-maker Abigail Brittain of Bohunt School.

Diabetes sufferer Abigail will be glamming up for the BAFTAs in London on Saturday after being shortlisted in a nationwide schools film contest about the condition.

Her film, made with her cousin Hannah, for the Diabetes in School Short Film Competition is through to the final in the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards.

In July Abigail contracted chronic type one diabetes condition and became insulin dependent. She has to frequently test her blood sugar levels and inject insulin to compensate every time she eats. Failure to do so would result in her health deteriorating.

Since then she has been campaigning to increase awareness of diabetes. She has become a young ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and is training to become their youngest ever public speaker.

She has also been making sure, with the support of family, friends and the school, that the condition doesn’t impact on her life.

She continues to do all she did before the diagnosis and take on new challenges, such as completing her bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.

“There is a lot of misconception about type one diabetes,” said Abigail. “Many misassociate it, and assume that poor diet has caused the condition. At this moment in time, there is nothing you can do to avoid contracting type one and unless there is an advance in medical research all sufferers will be insulin dependent for the rest of their lives.”

Charities like JDRF and Diabetes UK campaign, provide support for sufferers and fund research into prevention and a cure.

Earlier this year Diabetes UK launched the competition for short films highlighting the awareness of the effect of diabetes in schools. Abigail jumped at the chance to appear in the film and produced it with Hannah.

To watch it and increase Abigail’s chances of winning an award visit www. youtube.com/watch?v=M9r_tlRrJqQ