Mollie’s Story 

Mollie Kubicka doesn’t remember a life without diabetes. The 17-year-old from Juniata, Neb., was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) when she was two.

 “It’s always been there,” Kubica said. “I’ve always worn a little pouch and had to do finger pokes.”

Early on, her parents, Tom and Melissa, cared for her, showing her how to use her insulin pump and draw up insulin. Starting around the sixth grade, though, Mollie took it upon herself to independently manage her T1D. 

 “Becoming a teenager and getting older, I needed to mature in my diabetes as well,” she said.

Today, Mollie monitors her blood sugars, planning ahead and packing food, taking her active lifestyle into account. She strives for a happy medium, calculating the carbs she’s eaten and making adjustments for activity. Her hard work is paying off, and she said she almost cried with happiness when she recently received a good number on her HbA1C.

For over a decade, Mollie and her family have been actively involved with JDRF Nebraska-Southwest Iowa Chapter, a CHAD member charity. At age four, Mollie traveled to Washington D.C., to participate in the JDRF Children’s Congress. While her mother initially managed the team, Mollie has taken over and in the last two years, has raised over $2,000 for JDRF. She has given speeches to groups who donated to JDRF on her behalf.

 “I make it a point to say thank you and keep them updated and show their funds are making a difference in my life and others who have diabetes.”

 Some of the funds go toward children who have recently been diagnosed, with a kit or stuffed animal. Mollie said her earliest “diabetes memory” was receiving a stuffed animal from JDRF. 

 Now a junior at Adams Central Junior-Senior High School, Mollie is busy with cheerleading, musicals, choir, band and student council. She plans to attend University of Nebraska Lincoln and then University of Nebraska Medical Center to become a certified diabetes educator.

 In the meantime, she continues to spread positivity for those affected by T1D.

 “I’d like people to know it’s not curable and there’s nothing we can do to change it, but we can live our best lives with diabetes,” she said. “It can’t hold us back in any way.”