Name: Sophie Nielsen

Age: 14

Age at diagnosis: 10

Involvement with JDRF: Walk to Cure Diabetes, volunteering at JDRF Hope Gala

What is an obstacle you’ve faced in living with T1D, and how did you deal with it?

I dance, and with my insulin pump I just kind of have to be aware of taking it off when I’m performing, and having to check and recheck my blood sugar all the time when those crazy performances are screwing with everything. You just have to be cautious.

What’s one way T1D has made you a better person?

There’s a little boy that I know that goes to my old school, and he recently got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It made me want to help him out, so I’ve just had more compassion for other people’s health problems and wanting to help other people out.

What do you wish someone had told you when you were first diagnosed?

Just that there’s so much out there to help you with controlling it, that you can still live a normal life.

Have you encountered any misconceptions about T1D? If so, how did you respond?

Not that many; I mean there’s little kids that will think that I’m contagious. But really just questions, like does it hurt, but you just learn to deal with it.

Who has been your biggest supporter in managing your T1D?

Probably my mom, because she’s always finding different recipes and ideas to help make it easier.