Country of Residence
United States
Age
16
Project title
Empowering Youth with Type 1 Diabetes
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
No one has to face Type 1 Diabetes alone. We supports newly diagnosed youth, provide connections and turn the voices and experiences of youth with T1D into action that strengthens their communities.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Pilot-Stage (We’ve tried an activity or two)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
My brother was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on August 27, 2025. I still remember seeing him on that hospital bed and watching him giving himself his first shots and learning how to do something that he had never had to think about before. He was scared and overwhelmed. As his sister, it was hard for me to watch because I knew his life had changed in that moment. What stayed with me most was knowing that he would have to go back to school and try to figure out how to live with T1D while also being a normal kid. He was the only kid at school dealing with T1D. He had to check his blood sugar, manage his insulin, deal with alarms and devices, and explain things that even many adults don't understand. I kept thinking, “Does he really have to do this alone?” We started looking for a local support group where kids and teens with T1D could meet other people their age who actually understood what they were going through. We couldn't find the kind of youth focused community we were looking for. I realized that instead of waiting for someone else to create it, we could create it ourselves. That is how ThriveT1D was born. We wanted to create a place where young people with T1D could meet, talk, laugh, share their experiences, support newly diagnosed kids, and know that someone "gets it".
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
When someone gets diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a lot changes really quickly. They have to learn about insulin, check their blood sugar, deal with alarms and devices, and think about diabetes throughout the day. But something people don't always think about is how lonely it can be especially for kids. I saw this happen with my brother when he was diagnosed. He was suddenly dealing with something that most kids his age didn't understand. He was the only kid at school with T1D, and I could see how hard it was for him to explain what he was going through. I started thinking about how helpful it would be to have someone his own age who could just say, “I get it.” We looked for a local group where kids and teens with T1D could meet each other, but we couldn't find the kind of group we were looking for. That made me realize there was a real need in our community. Kids with T1D shouldn't have to feel like they are the only ones dealing with this. They need a place where they can talk about diabetes without having to explain every little thing, make friends, have fun, and meet people who understand them. That's why ThriveT1D matters to me. We want to make sure that when a kid gets diagnosed, they don't just get information about managing diabetes which is what the hospital provides but they also need a community that tells them, “You are not alone.”
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
ThriveT1D is a youth-led community created for other young people with T1D. We want to make sure that when kids are diagnosed, they have people they can connect with and don't feel like they are the only ones going through it. We hold monthly gatherings where kids and teens with T1D can meet each other in a relaxed environment. We play games, do activities, talk, and give everyone a chance to share what they are comfortable sharing. We don't want every meeting to feel like another doctor's appointment. We want it to feel like a place where kids can just be kids while also being around people who understand T1D. We also reach out to newly diagnosed kids through handwritten cards. We work to get these cards to kids and teens who have recently been diagnosed so they can hear from another young person who understands what they are going through. We want the first message they receive from another person with T1D to be one of encouragement and support. We are also creating more ways for young people with T1D to use their own experiences to help others. Through ThriveT1D, youth can share their stories, connect with other families, participate in community events, and help us come up with ideas for what kids with T1D actually need. Our goal is to keep growing this community beyond the kids who already know about us. We want to reach newly diagnosed youth across our area, build connections between young people who might otherwise never meet, and give them opportunities to support each other. We started ThriveT1D because my brother needed this kind of community. Now we are building it so other kids can have it too.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
ThriveT1D is still growing, but we are already seeing the difference it can make. So far, we have sent 200 handwritten cards to kids and teens who were newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. We want to send another 200 cards this year and grow the program even more next year so that more kids can hear from someone who understands what they are going through. Our monthly meetings have also shown us why this community is needed. At our most recent meeting, a newly diagnosed child came for the first time. They were able to meet other kids with T1D, ask questions, and leave with resources and information that they had not received at the hospital. Seeing that made us realize that ThriveT1D can fill a gap that goes beyond medical care. For us, impact isn't only about how many people we reach. It is about what happens when a kid who may feel confused or alone finds other young people who understand them. It is about a handwritten card arriving after a diagnosis, a new friendship at a meeting, or a family finding a resource they didn't know existed. We started with the goal of helping kids in our community, and now we want to reach even more. Our goal is to keep growing our meetings, send more cards to newly diagnosed youth, reach more families, and build a larger network where young people with T1D can support one another.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
What makes ThriveT1D different is that we are not just creating another place where families can get information about Type 1 diabetes. We are creating a community where young people with T1D can help other young people with T1D. When someone is first diagnosed, they usually get a lot of medical information from the hospital, but that does not always answer the questions that another kid with T1D might have. What is it like going back to school? What do you do when you feel different from everyone else? How do you explain T1D to your friends? Sometimes you just want to talk to someone who actually gets it. Our idea is to fill that gap through peer connection. We combine monthly youth gatherings, handwritten cards to newly diagnosed kids, community outreach, and resources created around what young people tell us they actually need. Instead of adults deciding what kids with T1D need, we give young people a role in creating the support themselves. Our handwritten cards are one example. A newly diagnosed child can receive a message from another young person who understands that their diagnosis can be overwhelming. We are also building a community where newly diagnosed kids can come to a meeting, meet other young people with T1D, ask questions, and find resources beyond what they received at the hospital. We also want to grow this model. We are not just trying to reach the kids who already know about ThriveT1D. We want to create a network where young people can help welcome newly diagnosed kids, share their experiences, and become part of supporting the next person.
How many people are on your team?
2
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
Our core team is made up of my brother and me. We share leadership by planning meetings, coming up with ideas, reaching out to families, and deciding what ThriveT1D should do next. We also have volunteers who help us write handwritten cards for newly diagnosed kids. Next year, I want to expand this by hosting card-writing sessions at Boys & Girls Clubs as a service project, giving more young people a chance to help us reach kids with T1D.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, we want to grow ThriveT1D so we can reach more newly diagnosed kids and give them support from the very beginning. One of our biggest goals is to expand our handwritten card program to other states. We want more kids with T1D to receive a card from someone who understands what it feels like to be newly diagnosed. We also want to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs to hold card-writing sessions as service projects. This would give other kids a way to help us support children with T1D while also teaching them about what Type 1 diabetes is and what kids living with it go through. Another goal is to include our cards in Bags of Hope and other support packages for newly diagnosed families. We also want to work with hospitals to create small ThriveT1D kits that can be given to kids when they are diagnosed. The kits could include useful items like an insulin travel pouch, sharps disposal container, alcohol wipes, a medical ID item, and a handwritten card. We want these kits to provide practical things families can actually use while also reminding kids that they are not alone. As ThriveT1D grows, we want to build more partnerships, reach more states, involve more young people, and keep finding ways to turn our own experience with T1D into support for the next kid.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
We encourage people to get involved by giving them simple ways to make a difference for kids with Type 1 diabetes. So far, volunteers have helped us write handwritten cards for newly diagnosed kids. These cards may seem small, but they give someone a personal message of support from another person who understands what they are going through. We also bring speakers to ThriveT1D through our monthly meetings, where kids and teens with T1D can meet each other, play games, talk, and share their experiences. We want people to learn that supporting someone with T1D is not just about understanding the medical side of diabetes. It is also about making sure kids do not feel alone. Next year, we want to involve even more people by holding card-writing service projects at Boys & Girls Clubs. This would give kids who do not have T1D a chance to learn about it while doing something meaningful for someone else. We also want to reach more families through hospitals, Bags of Hope, and other community partners. As we expand our card program to other states, we hope more young people will join us by writing cards, sharing their experiences, spreading awareness, and helping newly diagnosed kids feel welcomed into a community. We want people to realize that they do not have to have T1D themselves to help someone who does.
