The unacceptable tragedy with Type 1 is that there is a safe, non-invasive, inexpensive (on average 24¢) way to safeguard lives and protect futures.

I willingly made the choice to become a single mom with T1D, but it took a lot of self-acceptance.

Growing up in a small hometown, I was shaped and defined by the fact that I was “the girl with diabetes.”

I DO have a full life. Sure, there are handicaps that prevent me from being at full strength, but the life that I’ve made for my family and myself is full.

I’m teaching my children that the evidence of my disease will not prevent me from living life, enjoying the gifts of heat and water and sunshine that summer gives us.

I can’t sleep because I’m scared my son might die.

It’s funny; saying it that way. “A child with Autism.” As if it were something she elected to carry around with her.

I hope that when you read some of these stories from the lives of people and families living with Type 1, they will help you understand our battle better.

For a parent of a preemie or a child with disabilities, it means the world.

This is what I know: there are so many heart-rending and devastating things about having a sick child.