A Warsop teenager who almost died just hours before her GCSE exams is now raising awareness of the disease that almost took her life.

Leah Green, 18, who hopes to become an ambassador for Diabetes UK, is a finalist in the Miss England competition – where the winner qualifies for Miss World – and says she would use any success in the prestigious competition to promote knowledge of diabetes.

Leah is also urging people to vote for her in the competition, which she only entered as a wildcard, by downloading the Miss England app.

She has opted out of her A-Levels to pursue a career in modelling while working part-time as a carer and was overjoyed to reach the Miss England wildcard shortlist.

Recalling what happened to her last May, Leah explained how she nearly fell into a diabetic coma and died after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She was rushed to King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton, after doctors warned her she was just hours from slipping into a diabetic coma after her blood sugar levels spiked to almost seven times the normal level.

She had put feeling thirsty, exhausted and losing weight down to the stress of revising for her GCSEs.

Leah, who spent several days in hospital recovering and learning how to inject herself with insulin to manage the disease, returned to Meden School to take her exams – and passed them all, despite taking the first a day after leaving hospital.

“It has been a rollercoaster year or so and after what I’ve been through I thought I might as well go for it,” she said.

“This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this but after dealing with diabetes and passing my exams, I feel more and more confident than ever to speak out.

“When I found out I had Type 1 diabetes it was frightening because you don’t think something like this would happen to you.

“It was a complete shock because I’d always had a healthy lifestyle.

“But crying about it and giving up doesn’t help you, so I carried on. If I did win Miss England I would like to raise awareness about diabetes, both in the community and particularly to people of my age.”

Talking about her diabetes, the brave teenager added: “I now have to eat really healthily and check the food labels on everything I eat for fats and sugars and carbohydrates.

“Sometimes I am unable to move and I shake everywhere. I feel really tired and I’m unable to focus.

“It was very hard to deal with. But now I am living to adapt to it. I’ve learnt to manage the signs better and have accepted its part of my life now.

“I have to be very wary of my health by having a balanced diet at all times.

“When something like this happens you just have to push on with your ambitions and I feel more determined than ever.

“It has given me the confidence to speak out and go for things. If you get one chance in life, why not do it while you can.”

Brought up on a farm, Leah said the beauty pageant was the first she had taken part in and she was “definitely out of my comfort zone”.