Some of my earliest memories were canvasing and organizing. I was raised to speak up for what I believe in, and those lessons came to a head when I was diagnosed with Type-One Diabetes. Initially, I felt like there was nothing I could do and I just had to accept my new reality of constant blood sugar testing, counting carbs, and troubleshooting 24/7. No one day is the same in the life of a diabetic. Those feelings quickly turned into action and since then, I have been involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) for the past 10 years.

JDRF funds Type-One Diabetes (T1D) research, provides support, and an activist network for the T1D community. They also advocate for policies changes and improved therapies. I continue to work to provide support and education for newly diagnosed patients. I have assisted with and spoken at various fundraisers over the years. I was selected to lead group of 50 young advocates, created new content for the JDRF website, and am involved with the organization’s event programming. I also work to build educational and engagement programs so that JDRF’s important work can reach more young people across the country. In 2019, I also was selected as one of two delegates from New York to represent JDRF on Capitol Hill. I met for four days with federal legislators to advocate for affordable insulin pricing and research funding. See some of my work in action below.

I am currently working on expanding a Tween T1D writing group to provide a safe and constructive space to share experiences with other T1D children.