Meet our 2023 JDRF Dream Gala Youth Ambassadors!
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There are so many reasons to celebrate at the 2023 JDRF Dream Gala! This year, we have 12 inspiring Youth Ambassadors who are dedicated to supporting JDRF’s mission by sharing their stories of life with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to help others better understand the importance of raising funds for research through the St. Louis Dream Gala and Kansas City Dream Gala.
We want to extend a huge thank you to our Youth Ambassador Spotlight Partner, the Rick & Cathy Baier Foundation! We are so grateful for their continued support and dedication to creating a world without T1D.
Now, let’s meet our 2023 Dream Gala Youth Ambassadors!
Angel
Meet Angel! She is a St. Louis Youth Ambassador and was diagnosed with T1D when she was 13 years old. In her free time, she loves to cheer, dance and cook. To Angel, being a part of the JDRF family means having a group of people that always understands her.
Meet Mila! She is a St. Louis Youth Ambassador and was diagnosed with T1D when she was 7 years old. In her free time, she loves to dance and play volleyball. To Mila, being a part of the JDRF family means joining together to find a cure for type 1 diabetes and knowing that you are not alone.
JT
Meet JT! He is a Kansas City Youth Ambassador and was diagnosed with T1D when he was 9 years old. In his free time, he loves playing baseball, basketball and football. Cures for T1D would mean everything to JT! No more needles, no more worry, no more devices, and no more sleepless nights.
Meet Aubrey! She is a Kansas City Youth Ambassador and was diagnosed with T1D when she was 7 years old. In her free time, she loves to be creative and active. Through JDRF, Aubrey has met some of her lifelong friends and found a support system that she can always reach out to and rely on.
Meet Brody! He is a Kansas City Youth Ambassador and was diagnosed with T1D when he was 7 years old. In his free time, he loves playing football, being outside with his friends and playing video games. If there was one thing Brody wished people knew about T1D, it’s that although it’s tough sometimes, it doesn’t limit what he can do.
Meet Wilbur! Wilbur is a St. Louis Youth Ambassador and was diagnosed with T1D when he was 15 months old. He loves playing soccer, baseball and basketball with his friends. Cures for T1D to Wilbur would mean more freedom! It would mean he could stop worrying about carbs, stop checking his numbers, and he wouldn’t have to carry juice boxes everywhere.
Meet Claire! She is a Kansas City Youth Ambassador and was diagnosed with T1D when she was 9 years old. In her free time, she loves to sing, play piano, draw and play video games. Claire says that JDRF has given her the opportunity to share her story and help find cures for T1D through her fundraising.
Meet Madison! She is a Kansas City Youth Ambassador and was diagnosed with T1D when she was 12 years old. In her free time, she loves to dance! To Madison, cures for T1D would mean freedom and no more stress or anxiety about the “what ifs”.
Eve
Meet Eve! She is a St. Louis Youth Ambassador and was diagnosed with T1D when she was 18 months old. In her free time, she loves to dance and sing! To Eve, being a part of the JDRF family means having a community of people who understand and accept who you are. It means having an extra family of people who can support each other!
Meet Michael! Michael is a St. Louis Youth Ambassador and was diagnosed with T1D when he was 2 years old. He loves playing sports, especially soccer. If there was one thing Michael wished others knew about T1D, it would be that he is not different from anybody else – he is just a normal kid!
Meet Jaden! She is a St. Louis Youth Ambassador and was diagnosed with T1D when she was 4 years old. In her free time, she loves to cheer competitively! Jaden says that being a part of the JDRF family has helped her grow and manage her diabetes with confidence.
Meet Simon! He is a Kansas City Youth Ambassador and was diagnosed with T1D when he was 4.5 years old. In his free time, he loves playing catch or basketball with his mom and dad. To Simon, cures for T1D would mean freedom to do whatever he wants and probably less stress for his parents.