Liddy Huntsman was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at age seven. Her world was turned upside down, feeling scared, isolated, and forced to deal with a new reality. Liddy struggled with T1D as a young girl— adjusting to constant finger pricks, shots and being “different” from other kids in school. After having a “sick” day from school, Liddy and her mother, Mary Kaye got a phone call of a family friends son who was just diagnosed with T1D. Mary Kaye always educated her kids to give back and lift someone else up because that is the key to giving back to yourself. Liddy and her mom put together a bag of things to help the family and child not feel so alone and overwhelmed. As Liddy sat on the hospital bed with this newly diagnosed boy, she quickly learned about the power of giving back and the importance of building a community that understood her reality. From this experience, the Bag of Hope program was born.

For over 20 years, the Bag of Hope continues to instill a sense of security, community, belonging, and friendship. When each bag is given, a T1D and their family are connected to the community that will end this disease.

Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, Elizabeth “Liddy” Huntsman lives in the Dominican Republic with her Husband, Eduardo and two sons, Harrison and Hunter. Liddy hopped on her father’s 2012 Presidential Campaign, where she created viral social media content with her two sisters. She is a digital storyteller, with a wide range of experiences from political radio show host to formerly creating content and campaigns for Bumble App. She believes in the power of social media and humor and the importance of connection. She continues to be an advocate for T1D, where she currently sits on the leadership council of Beyond Type 1 and most recently helped in the long-awaited success of Medicare providing coverage for the Omnipod System. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011 and received her MA in Media Studies from The New School in 2019. She is a self-proclaimed, failed stand-up comedian.

Read more from Liddy and her experience with T1D here.

Don’t miss hearing from Liddy and Eduardo at our JDRF Hope Gala: Celebrating Progress on Saturday, May 1 at 7pm MDT. Pre-register today by texting ‘JDRF2021’ to 243-725 or visiting one.bidpal.net/JDRF2021.