Be mine. Hugs and kisses. Love conquers all. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and when you love someone with type 1 diabetes (T1D) you might add another saying: Love is sweet. For Diana Kinsey-O’Scanlon, when she met her husband Kevin O’Scanlon eleven years ago, she knew she was smitten, T1D and all. “I had lots of questions about how I could ‘help’ and ‘what should I do if…’ but mostly what I learned was that ever since Kevin was diagnosed with T1D at age five, he has not let anything stop him from living his life,” says Diana.

“Living with Kevin and his T1D means I have a bottomless source of inspiration. He has such a love for life and never lets this disease stop him from pursuing his passion of travel, dancing, bike riding, scuba diving, etc. Loving Kevin has meant learning how powerful a daily choice of optimism and action can be,” says Diana.

Inspired by Kevin’s spirit and endless optimism, Diana decided to join JDRF in its vision to create a world without T1D. She has a professional background working with children, currently as a behavior specialist in the Santa Clara School District, so volunteering to run the Kids Corner at the 2010 Walk in San Francisco was a natural start to her involvement with JDRF. They participated as a couple, with Kevin volunteering as a DJ at the Walk. Next, Diana led a treasure hunt at the 2012 Royal Ball. “My background helped me come up with games to keep tabs on all the kiddos as we made our way through the maze,” she says. Since then, she has continued to volunteer at the Walk every year, and also served as emcee for the 2015 Royal Ball, and managed the junior volunteers at the 2015 Tee to Table. “What I really love about volunteering for JDRF is seeing all the families come together in the face of something that can be so life-altering, and bond in a common effort of working towards a positive outcome,” says Diana.

Diana is most exhilarated by the Walk each year, both as a fundraiser and enthusiastic volunteer. Last year, she took the lead in creating the V1P tent for the San Francisco One Walk. Her finishing touches included hand-painted plates with inspirational messages such as “Awesome-sauce” and ‘You’re #1”. She also helped fabricate a giant Jenga set, painted with JDRF messaging, for kids to play with at the Walk. She is not afraid to get her hands dirty with early mornings of setting up tables and delivering water stations. “I love the whole process leading up to One Walk, from meeting the most excellent group of people at community meetings to the weekend leading up to it. This is a big deal weekend in our household as it is in many others,” she says.

Diana always seems to have a smile on her face when she is helping to make a difference in the lives of those affected by T1D. The people around her can’t help smiling with her, especially Kevin, who is now a JDRF Bay Area Walk Manager. “It means so much to me that Diana is so involved and invested in this fight against T1D. Living with T1D is a constant challenge, and having her by my side makes it so much easier,” he says. “She is a wonderful volunteer…but more than that she is a wonderful and supportive wife and partner!  I’m sure lucky I found her!” Diana feels the same way. “Loving Kevin has made life an adventure,” she says. “Volunteering for JDRF has given me an opportunity to learn more about T1D and more about my wonderful husband.”