When it comes to Type 1 diabetes, no two diagnoses are identical, and T1D management can vary greatly from one person to the next. This even holds true between two people with the same genetic blueprint.

Identical twins Anna and Jules were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the ages of 4 and 7. Now entering their sophomore year of high school, their experiences with the disease have differed in several ways.

When Anna was diagnosed at age 4, her parents were told there was only a 50% chance that her sister would also develop T1D. Despite having identical DNA, twins do not have an identical risk for developing the disease. T1D researchers are actively studying the role of environmental vs. genetic factors in causing the disease, with studies of twins contributing to our current understanding.

Jules was enrolled in the TrialNet screening study which revealed she had T1D markers, and she was eventually diagnosed at age 7.

Their mom Michelle lovingly jokes that Jules got the short end of the T1D stick. “By the time she was diagnosed we were already so familiar with the disease – she didn’t get the same attention her sister did. We just kept going.”

These days the family agrees there can be benefits to having twin T1D’s under one roof. The girls share supplies and can rely on one another for things like low blood sugar treats at school. When one girl’s insulin pump failed last year, she was able to follow the bolus calculations from her sister’s pump until a replacement set arrived.

But having twins with T1D has also given the family unique experiences. Their mom recalls one harrowing night when the girls were young, looked identical, and had switched beds unbeknownst to her. “I accidentally bolused the wrong one in the middle of the night. I then had to wake her up and get her to eat something,” she sighs. “The early days were a little crazy.”

As the girls have grown, their T1D experiences increasingly reflect the differences in their personalities. “One of them tends to be more prepared and disciplined about her T1D management,” says their mom. “The other one is a bit more…forgetful.” They all laugh as Jules admits she has not always been diligent in remembering her supplies or BG checks. But their mom recognizes this is par for the course with two teenagers learning to manage T1D, and she’s made a point to give each girl space to make individual choices for her T1D care.

Today the twins thrive as they each juggle T1D with sports, school, extracurricular activities and their latest challenge – driver’s ed. They are shining examples of how not to let T1D slow you down, and a great reminder that no two T1D’s are exactly alike – not even twins.

Written By: Amy Gallagher