Our guest contributor, Paul Willems had a chance to catch up with one of JDRF NEWI Youth Ambassadors.  Here is a little bit about her journey.

It was around 3 years ago when a 9-year-old Gabriella Hauser found herself going to the restroom a lot and drinking more water than she was used to. On top of things, she had lost a lot of weight in a short period of time. These symptoms, as they often do, led to something that would change Gabby’s life forever, as she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

I got in touch with Gabby recently to discuss her diagnosis and adjusting since. She told me that, despite her earlier reservations such as doing injections in public or not being able to participate in some of her favorite activities because of a low blood sugar, that adjusting to her diagnosis has gone well. She credits this to a smooth adjustment brought about by a solid support system and a working plan after “a few trial and errors”.

Gabby is an avid golfer, and said she has learned to adjust with the walking that comes with that sport as it pertains to her blood sugars. She also loves reading, singing/playing piano, and also started forensics this year through school.

When it comes to things that Gabby wants people to know about experiences with Type 1 diabetes, she told me, in part:“T1D is a roller coaster. There are days when you can do your very best and still your blood sugar is high all day or you can not get yourself to come up from a low. On those days the best thing a care taker or loved one can do is just try to be as supportive as possible.”

“It is important to be able to find out where you may have taken a wrong turn and I know its tempting to want to be able to blame something but I think the best thing to do is realize there will be highs and lows in T1D just like there are in the rest of life.”

We certainly look forward to finding out more of what Gabby does with her life in the future as she continues to adjust and live her own life with T1D!

**Picture courtesy of Carlson Photography