A Diabetes event changed the course of my life.

There are lots of things that are hard about living with diabetes. For me, the hardest thing about growing up with T1D was feeling like no one truly understood what I was going through.

You see- I was diagnosed at fourteen months old. I grew up not knowing any different, but as I went to school and started making friends, I noticed that none of them had to bolus before lunch, check their blood sugar before PE, or go to the hospital for clinic every three months.

In high school, things got even harder. I was deeply embarrassed by my diabetes, hiding it from my friends and struggling to manage it in social settings. There were times I refused to check my blood sugar or take my insulin because I didn't want to draw attention to myself.

But then I discovered the T1DC community. I started attending events, met others who truly understood, and found a sense of belonging. That was a turning point that changed the course of my life.