Every day, the JDRF community is moving #ForwardAs1 to improve the lives of people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Meet T1D Champion Rob, who has been living with T1D for 17 years. Rob moves progress Forward for the T1D community by participating in the JDRF One Walks every year with his family and supporting JDRF’s young community as a member of the Tweens Taking on T1D Committee. Thank you, Rob, for all you do to make an impact on the T1D community! Read on to learn more about Rob’s T1D journey.

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My name is Rob Lum and I am 23 years old. I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 6 years old. I wish people knew that even with T1D you can do everything that anyone else can. I wish people knew that even though the disease can take a lot away from you, it can also provide you with invaluable lessons that you can’t get anywhere else. I am currently in Physician Assistant school working towards being an advanced care practitioner hopefully in a pediatric hospital someday. My dream is to comfort and heal the pediatric patient that I once was.

For people who don’t have T1D, I want them to know that we are math and science wizards. Every time food is served, our minds quickly go into calculator mode determining how many units of insulin to give ourselves. We also know that complex and simple carbs can affect us differently and will affect the method in which we give our insulin. Maybe it’s all of our insulin up front or over a long period of time. These thoughts flood our brain in only a matter of seconds. In fact, we are superheroes because we will be the hardest workers in the room because that is all we know how to do!! Our health depends upon our responsibility, so we approach life in the same way.

Here is a picture of me last year in Paris eating a baguette. My girlfriend and I went on vacation to Paris and had the time of our lives. Paris is known for its sweets and breads and as you may know, this could be very carb heavy! Thanks to my continuous glucose monitor and insulin pump, I felt equipped to deal with this. I did not let this stop me from having the time of my life.

I want all the T1Ds out there to know that you should not let this disease hold you back. Find the people that love and support you because fighting this disease is teamwork. You are not in this alone! Do what excites you and makes you happy because life is too short to let something like T1D hold you back. With the best team and community in the world, there is an endless amount of support to help you troubleshoot through tough times with T1D.