Sydney Hart, 22, a Chicago native and current senior at George Washington University in DC, has had T1D since she was 18 years old. We talked to Sydney about her commitment to JDRF and the difficulties of being diagnosed in college.

 

Q: Tell me a bit about your diagnosis, because you found out at a pretty rough time. Correct?

A: Yes, I think anyone diagnosed with T1D is going to have a rough time at first. What made mine a bigger difficulty was it was such a transitional time in my life. It was two months before I was starting college. So on top of figuring out a new routine/lifestyle and adjusting to being on my own away from home for the first time, now I have this incredibly difficult chronic condition that I have to account for as well. It felt incredibly overwhelming.

 

Q: That does sound tough. What helped you adjust?

A: My family and friends were such a lifesaver. One of my best friends, Bella, who I had grown up with in Chicago was actually diagnosed just before me and was also starting school in DC. It was nice that we had each other as a support system. Having someone who is navigating through the same obstacles as you, not just with diabetes, but in life was incredibly helpful. She definitely helped keep me sane and I hope I was able to do the same for her.

 

Q: When did you first get involved with JDRF? 

A: I first rode in the Ride to Cure Diabetes in La Crosse, WI back in 2014. At the time, I had pretty poor control of my diabetes at the time and the Ride kind of forced me to figure out my personal management of T1D. After the Ride, I felt like if having type one couldn’t prevent me from doing this, then it shouldn’t stop me in other aspects of my life as well.

 

Q: And now you intern here at the JDRF DC office. How did that happen?

A: I have always just been interested in non-profit work and there is so many great organizations that I considered to devote my free time to and to help gain work experience. JDRF was the clear choice though. I believe deeply in the mission here.

Q: You’ve mentioned before the how strong the support from your parents has been ever since you were diagnosed. Could you tell me more about that?

A: My parents are just always there for me. At times it can seem like they want to be too hyper aware of what’s going on in my life, but I know that they are just loving parents and constantly thinking about me. I really appreciate the support of my entire family. They all came to support me at the DC Gala this year and it just made me feel very loved. My family is everything to me.

 

Q: Any advice you would give to those newly diagnosed with T1D? 

A: Don’t ever let someone tell you that you aren’t or can’t do something because of diabetes. I love scuba diving and when I first was diagnosed, I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to do it anymore. Or what other things I enjoyed would be cut out of my life by this disease. However, then I discovered that as long as I managed responsibly and correctly, that wasn’t true. You just have to push through and not let T1D control your whole life.