I wanna run away with my girlfriend, but I’m a diabetic.

[Guest]

So, I really want to run away with my girlfriend. But one problem here is that i’m a 13 year old diabetic. We both feel unsafe in our homes currently, and we just wanna leave. This would be much easier if I didn’t have diabetes, but since I do I have no idea how this would work. I was thinking about rationalizing my insulin by only eating when I get a low blood sugar, but I have a feeling that won’t work out. What are we supposed to do about that?

[ccsmod3]

Hey there! Thanks for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We know that it can take a lot of courage to reach out for support, and we're glad you took that step.

In thinking about running away, it's always a good idea to try and have some sort of plan in place to try and ensure your general safety. This can be hard under "normal" circumstances, but having a chronic health condition that requires ongoing maintenance can absolutely make it more of a challenge. In leaving home without a plan in place and access to insulin, you're essentially trading one unsafe environment for another. It's important to keep in mind that if you're at risk of being homeless and/or living in a shelter, you might also find yourself in a higher stress environment, which could, on its own, impact your diabetes. But you also might be facing times where you don't have regular access to food. So eating only when you get low blood sugar might sound good in theory, but you're right in saying that it likely won't work out. It's also a lot harder to eat the healthier foods that your body needs when you're homeless, as often times, you'll be eating whatever you can get. And generally speaking, cheaper foods are comprised of all the things that just might wreak havoc on your body. And while it does sound like you're thinking some about how much insulin you have on hand, it's also important to think about what happens when it's gone.

You mentioned that both you and your girlfriend are feeling unsafe in your homes. If either of you are experiencing abuse, a good route to consider would be filing an abuse report with Child Protective Services (CPS). If accepted, CPS will then conduct an investigation to learn more about what's going on at home, striving to ensure the safety and wellbeing of any children who live in the home. While sometimes this does mean that children are then removed from the home, it's also possible that CPS will try and put supports in place and provide resources for the family to try and ensure that whatever is happening in the home is addressed. If filing a report with CPS is something that you'd like to do, you can file a report yourself by calling your local CPS agency. You can also disclose any abuse to a safe person at school, like a teacher or a social worker. They're considered Mandated Reporters and will file a report on your behalf. You're also welcome to contact us here at NRS and we can file a report for you, or with you--whatever you're most comfortable with. While we understand that filing a report with CPS might be a bit scary, it may be an option worth considering to ensure that you have regular access to your insulin, as well as medical care in general, if removed from the home.

If you'd like to talk in more detail about what's going on at home or learn more about filing a report with CPS, please feel free to reach out to us directly by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY or by chatting with us live at www.1800runaway.org. We're available 24/7 and are always happy to listen, and to help.

Take care.

NRS

[Guest]

My friend and I are running away from home. She has type 2diabetes. How can we make sure she is taken care of?

[ccsmod16]

Hi,
There are many, many problems to solve if you are thinking of running away. And healthcare is a major problem as a minor can't get healthcare on their own without consent of a parent or guardian. And there is no way around that, so you will have to consider your plan more carefully because diabetic supplies are usually only available by prescription, which you won't be able to get.
We are here 24/7 to talk further with you about the reasons you plan to run away. We are here to support you. We truly hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
NRS

[Guest]

My friend and I wanna run away our parents are verbally abusive but shes 15 I'm 17 and we have no money we've both ran away before but got caught we wanna leave so bad they make us suicidal

[ccsmod3]

Hi there, thank you for reaching out. It sounds like you and your friend want to run away due to having parents who are verbally abusive. Both of you do not deserve to be treated this way. It also sounds like you both have tried running away in the past and got caught. It could be helpful to talk to a trusted adult to see if they can help in any way or if there may be a family member who can help or let you stay with them. We do not want you to hurt yourself or feel like that is the only option. We do recommend that if you feel you are in immediate danger, to call 911. Otherwise, if you would like to discuss this further, please call our hotline 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat us online at 1800runaway.org. We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

Hi,
I’m 12 years old and my family has always hated me, you know, they always hit and scream at me. I wanted to run away from home, but there are so many problems:

1. I’m a Type 1 Diabetic
2. I live in an apartment building on the 34 floor
3. I have so much stuff that belong to me that I don’t have enough bags to pack all of it.

Do you know what I should do? Thanks for helping me

[ccsmod3]

Hi, Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline. We appreciate you reaching out and sharing what has been going on. We are sorry for how your family has been treating  you. You do not deserve to be treated that way, and we are here for you 24/7.You mentioned that you are being hit and you family screams at you. You have the right to report any abuse. You can call Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 and they can help provide you more info on filing an abuse report. We are available to make a report too, or If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options. There are a lot of things to consider before running away. We are not legal experts but depending on the state, 18 is the "age of majority," or the age at which state residents are legally considered adults. What this means is you can’t leave home without your guardian’s permission. If you leave home without permission, your parents/legal guardian could report you as a runaway to the police. Running away is not illegal, but it is a status offense. This means police would notify your legal guardian if you are found. It would be up to your guardian if you are able to stay or need to return home. We work best when we can have a conversation with you. We would recommend calling us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or by Live Chat, we are here 24/7.We want you to know that you are not alone. It is great that you are reaching out and we are here to explore your options. We would recommend calling us at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or by Live Chat, we are here 24/7.Please call or chat soon at our website www.1800runaway.org.
National Runaway Safeline
[email protected] (Crisis Email)
1-800-RUNAWAY (24 Hour Hotline)https://www.nationalrunawaysafeline.org
National Runaway Safeline | National Runaway Safeline
Call 1-800-RUNAWAY if you are thinking of running from home, if you have a friend who has runaway, or if you are a runaway ready to go home.

[Guest]

I was thinking about running away from home with my gf. Her parents are verbally abusive and so are mine. Shes 15 im 16. Would we still be able to finish high school later on? And is it illegal to run away? I don't have any medical issues. But would we be capable of living normal lives when we are adults? We plan to move in with a friend

[ccsmod11]

(If you feel you are in danger for any reason, please call the police or go to your local emergency room.)

Hi there,
Thanks so much for reaching out to us. It sounds like there is some scary stuff going on at you and your girlfriend's home and it sounds like you both are looking to get away from it all. We're so sorry to hear anything scary is happening at home. You and your girlfriend do NOT deserve to feel unsafe or unwelcome in your own homes.

Since you mentioned there is abuse in the home, we do want to let you know that you have the right to report it. You may already know this, but you can report physical AND verbal abuse to the authorities and it will be anonymously investigated. If you are interested in this process, you might visit Child Help (https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse/) or reach out to us 24/7 to learn a little more about how this process might work.

To answer your exact question, if you do not finish school due to running away from home you have the right to finish it at any time. We aren't experts on this, but according to the McKinney-Vento act all homeless and runaway youth still have the right to go to school. The process of enrolling or re-enrolling looks different in every state, so if you are interested in learning more before you leave home we would encourage you to visit the National Center for Homeless Education (https://nche.ed.gov/) or calling their hotline at 800-308-2145.

We aren't legal experts, but we do know that it isn't illegal for you to run away. However, there are some things you need to know before you leave:

If you choose to leave home without your parents' permission, they could choose to file a runaway report which means the police will find you and bring you home. Even though you won't get in trouble with the law, you might get in trouble with your parents. Additionally, anyone you are staying with over the age of 18 in most states could be charged with harboring a runaway which is a criminal charge.

However you did mention you are escaping abuse. When you and your girlfriend make it to your friend's house, the people you are staying with can immediately call police or CPS to let them know you are there and escaping abuse which can help to get rid of any charges. This does mean that a CPS investigation will be launched. You can also choose not to let the authorities know you are there however by doing that you accept the risk of charges.

The best way to get your questions answered for your area specifically is to contact your local non-emergency police line and ask how they handle 15 and 16 year old runaways without giving away identifying information.

As long as you continue to focus on the future such as saving money, going back to school when you get a chance, and taking the steps needed to reach your personal goals, you should be able to live the normal adult life you have planned.

We would love to hear more about your story and give you more personalized feedback. Our helpline is 100% confidential and we are staffed by compassionate people wanting to help. The NRS is here 24/7 via online chat or by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). We hope to hear from you soon!
Good luck!
NRS