Though eighty-four percent of people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are adults, when you are diagnosed with T1D as a child, the role a parent or guardian plays as an advocate and a support system never really ends. The founders of JDRF were parents who were advocates for their children and this legacy continues to this day with Derek Rapp, JDRF president and CEO, and D-Dad to son Turner, 22, who was diagnosed in 2004.

In addition to our staff leadership, we are immensely grateful for all of the JDRF volunteers who are T1D parents and have lent their voices throughout decades of work. And when it comes to T1D, the work doesn’t stop at home. In schools, where so much of children’s lives are shaped, parents must ensure their children with T1D are safe and that teachers, nurses and school administrators not only understand what to do to help support a child with T1D, but why.

Listen to proud parents of six year old triplets Greg and Kristina Dooley share their story of being advocates for their children and finding the right school for their daughter Isabella who is living with T1D.

As children with T1D grow older, they face new challenges with college, insurance coverage, the workplace and any number of new situations Time and time again it is parents who continue to lead the charge on behalf of people living with T1D, of all ages.

If you are a parent of a person with T1D and need support, TypeOneNation.org is a great resource, where conversations happen every day about the many elements of life with T1D. On TypeOneNation.org, you can also find a variety of informational T1D toolkits, including our School Advisory Toolkit. And you can get involved with your local JDRF chapter here.

To all the T1D parents, thank you!