Age: 16
Age at T1D diagnosis: 13

Abbie knows all about innovation. She’s starting a nonprofit, called PAb’s Packs, with her friend Pia, who was diagnosed with lymphoma. “We both received top–notch care and, most importantly, had our families around to support us. Yet we both realized that there were lots of other children who were not as fortunate as we are,” she explains. They created a backpack filled with comfort items for teens who were recently diagnosed with diabetes or cancer, which they’ll distribute through PAb’s Packs. “Through PAb’s Packs, I hope to promote awareness about diabetes and be able to tell my story as a diabetic,” says Abbie. In addition to her startup, Abbie volunteers for JDRF and has given speeches about her T1D. She writes for her school newspaper, plays tennis and lacrosse, and enjoys printmaking.