Type 1 Diabetes is a disease where a person’s immune system attacks their pancreas, making it impossible to produce insulin—a hormone essential to turning food into energy. The daily life of someone with T1D brings a multitude of challenges, including daily insulin injections that need to be carefully balanced with eating and activity, disruptive glucose monitoring, sleepless nights.

Living with T1D means there are no days off and there is no cure. I am one of the 8.7 million people in the world that live with this disease. I was diagnosed when I was 14, and thanks to JDRF I have been able to live a mostly healthy life in spite of this T1D. But not everyone is as lucky. At least 3.9 million have already died because of T1D, many due to lack to treatment or even diagnosis.

To demonstrate the full scope of this disease, I have painted 45 paintings of various countries where living with T1 is a nearly impossible struggle.

I chose countries and found information about the T1D Impact by reviewing the T1D Index - a first-of-its-kind data simulation tool sponsored by JDRF that maps the human and public health impact of T1D across the globe. The T1D Index was first launched in 2022, and helps shine a light on the challenges we face, giving us a chance to act now.

There are children who look at these views every day, and to them, the mountains and valleys reflect not natural beauty, but the turmoil of their own blood sugar. 

But there is hope.

Your generosity will help JDRF fund life-changing breakthroughs to remove the incredible daily burden of this disease— getting vital insulin supplies to the people who need it most

Please support my fundraiser by making a donation today.

Thank you!