Maddie E.

Maddie was just 14 months old when she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Her parents noticed she was very thirsty, crabby and had to go to the bathroom a lot. After taking her to the doctor, they received a T1D diagnosis. They had to test her blood sugar every 30 minutes and try to give her impossibly small amounts of insulin.

Her parents were still dealing with the challenge of taking care of a helpless infant with diabetes when their first JDRF walk came around. When they attended, her parents realized they weren't alone and many other families were going through the exact same thing as they were.

Maddie got a pump in kindergarten and now that she is a teenager, she is more independent. She gradually started managing her diabetes on her own: checking her blood sugar, counting her carbs, doing her own insulin pump site changes and giving herself insulin. Having diabetes doesn't stop her from doing what she loves to do, like playing sports. Once in a while, she will have to sit out because of a low blood sugar, but after it comes back up, she can get right back into the game.

JDRF has done so much for Maddie’s family and others who have T1D. Maddie’s family has been to the JDRF walk 12 times and have raised more than $20,000 to help fund research for a cure. Maddie is also a JDRF youth ambassador.