November is National Diabetes Awareness Month! This is the month where communities across the country join hands to educate and spread awareness about diabetes and bring attention to issues facing the community.

JDRF is celebrating and commemorating this month by elevating stories of people living with and impacted by type 1 diabetes (T1D). Their wins, small and big, are what make them T1D Champions, all day, every day.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, life-threatening autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults at any age. While the causes of T1D are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved.

T1D is not related to diet or lifestyle, there is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, and—at present—nothing you can do to get rid of it. In T1D, the body’s immune system destroys cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, meaning the body produces little to no insulin to regulate blood sugar and get energy from food. The onset of T1D is sudden, leading to immediate insulin dependence and the need for injections.

T1D requires rigorous 24/7 monitoring of blood glucose levels—even overnight—to avoid potentially lethal highs and lows in blood sugar, as well as other devastating complications like kidney, eye and nerve diseases, and heart disease. Staying on top of T1D requires the mindset of a champion, which is why we are celebrating T1D Champions all month long.

Watch a short video from Dr. Aaron Kowalski, JDRF President and CEO and learn more about how JDRF will spread awareness about T1D all month.

Be sure to check out our social channels – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn – to find inspiring T1D Champions stories from across our community.

We invite you to share your stories with us: tell us about your wins, whether it is a small victory of talking to others about your T1D or a big one of running a marathon. Let’s celebrate all the wins and congratulate our T1D Champions, together. Share your stories on our social channels using the hashtag #T1DChampions or email us at social@jdrf.org.

Visit JDRF.org/NDAM to learn more about the impact of T1D, find answers to some pressing issues the T1D community faces and get involved.

As always, thank you for all that you do. We are so excited to celebrate you as our T1D Champions, all day, every day.