Meet the Team
Scarlett
How old were you when you were diagnosed?
I was 12 years old.
How did you feel when you found out you had T1D?
I was very scared because I didn't know what it was or how I got it.
How did it impact your everyday life?
I was very scared and too stressed out to eat anything. Counting carbs was a new language I had to learn and giving myself insulin took all of the fun out of eating. I got used to it and now I'm great at estimating how many carbs are in each meal.
What do you wish every newly diagnosed teen knew about life with T1D?
Even though it's very hard in the beginning, it gets SO much easier with time and the support of family, friends and peers.
Name one hobby/ interest of yours and tell us how having T1D affects it.
My love for hiking decreased as my fear of imbalanced blood sugars increased. After some time outside, I discovered that nature doesn't judge nor care about peoples differences. During my strenuous hikes, I take a small backpack filled with juice boxes and sugar to combat the low blood sugars.
What’s a fun fact that people wouldn't know by just looking at you?
I am an avid reader and have a crazy memory. I have memorized the Periodic Table, Greek Alphabet, and Alphabet Aerobics.
Daniel
How old were you when you were diagnosed?
I was 14
How did you feel when you found out you had T1D?
I felt scared, alone and confused.
How did it impact your everyday life?
It impacted my life by adding another level of complexity to it and adding a new thing to worry about.
What do you wish every newly diagnosed teen knew about life with T1D?
It's a big adjustment but your life isn't over. It will become easier. You will figure it out. You will come to control it instead of it controlling you.
Name one hobby/ interest of yours and tell us how having TID affects it.
An interest of mine that T1d has impacted is working out. It makes it more difficult to lift weights and do cardio when I have my blood sugar to worry about.
What’s a fun fact that people wouldn't know by just looking at you?
I can identify every model and year of Ford Mustang.
Alex
How old were you when you were diagnosed?
I was 13 years old.
How did you feel when you found out you had T1D?
I felt really overwhelmed, but glad I figured out why I was so thirsty!
How did it impact your everyday life?
T1D impacts my everyday life from making sure I eat enough carb before activities, being careful with everything I do to make sure my medical devices aren't ripped off, and of course, managing my blood sugar. It has gotten much easier since I was first diagnosed, but there are still adjustments I have to make to my everyday life.
What do you wish every newly diagnosed teen knew about life with T1D?
I wish every newly diagnosed teen knew that it does get tremendously easier and others will support you in whatever you may need.
Name one hobby/ interest of yours and tell us how having TID affects it.
I do martial arts, and at first, I thought it would be much more challenging for me to do because of the risk of going low or medical devices being ripped off. T1D has not really affected it that much, except for the few occasions of my pump falling off.
What’s a fun fact that people wouldn't know by just looking at you?
One fun fact about me is that I’m a vegetarian.
Maddie
How old were you when you were diagnosed?
I was 8 years old when I was diagnosed.
How did you feel when you found out you had T1D?
I was upset and scared, I didn't really know what it was and was nervous about how severely it would impact my life.
How did it impact your everyday life?
It impacted me in ways that I didn't really expect. I had to watch my carb intake and I had to be more responsible and aware than my other peers. I had to learn how to be independent and how to have advanced communicative skills at an early age.
What do you wish every newly diagnosed teen knew about life with T1D?
That it isn't as scary as it seems. It just means that you need to adjust your daily life slightly so that you can live a normal teenage life, and you just have to be more aware of your health. It is also okay to struggle a little bit from time to time and to ask others for help when needed.
Name one hobby/ interest of yours and tell us how having TID affects it.
I really love to act, I have been doing it for a really long time, I am 16 now and I started acting when I was 5 years old. I just have to take my blood sugar during shows and rehearsals, and I always have to have my glucagon with me. I have to disconnect my pump during shows. I also always have someone who has an awareness of my diabetes so that they can assist if I am unable to do so myself.
What’s a fun fact that people wouldn't know by just looking at you?
I have a really good memory! I know the alphabet backwards, know Rap God and Alphabet Aerobics by heart, and I can fold my tongue in different ways.
Reiley
How old were you when you were diagnosed?
I was two, almost three, years old when i was diagnosed.
How did you feel when you found out you had T1D?
I don’t really remember much from when I was diagnosed, because I was so young. For me, biggest silver lining of being diagnosed so young is not really remembering what my life was like before being diagnosed - I don’t have anything to compare to, life with diabetes is all I’ve ever known.
How did it impact your everyday life?
As a little kid, the hardest part of diabetes was knowing that I was different than other kids. Something that I’ve struggled with all throughout my childhood and adolescence has been trying to be “normal” with a condition that needs accommodations and specific support.
What do you wish every newly diagnosed teen knew about life with T1D?
It is so important to know that you are not alone. There are so many people out there who understand. Being able to talk about it - even just the stupid or annoying parts - helps make it all feel a little bit less daunting.
Name one hobby/ interest of yours and tell us how having TID affects it.
I have been a part of the YMCA Youth & Government program for several years. A big part of this program is learning about advocacy, how legislation is made, and practicing skills like public speaking. There have been some times when diabetes has prevented me from participating as much as I wanted to because my blood sugar was too high or low. When my blood sugar is out-of-whack it makes it really difficult for me to think or feel good doing anything.
What’s a fun fact that people wouldn't know by just looking at you?
I love dancing!