Age: 17
Age at T1D diagnosis: 8

Joshua remembers one of the early battles after his T1D diagnosis. He and his parents wanted a certain type of pump, but their hospital had only worked with one manufacturer. So they found another family that wanted the same pump. Together the two families persuaded the hospital to obtain the pump. “It was another life lesson I learned with this disease in that you just don’t accept ‘no’ as an answer.”

Joshua mentors younger kids through his support group. His family volunteers at JDRF Walks and other events, like Cheer for Cure and Dance for Diabetes, and they babysit during chapter meetings. Joshua and his dad—who overcame a fear of needles to help Joshua manage T1D—even met with their congresswoman to discuss the disease. In the future, Joshua hopes to become a nurse and a certified diabetes educator.