Age: 11
Age at T1D diagnosis: 10

Eli has always been an old soul. His favorite thing to do on Saturdays is coin collecting with his Apaw or helping split wood with his Pap. From a young age, he always enjoyed talking politics with adults. Like many 11-year-olds, Eli loves playing baseball and pickleball and cheering for those Kentucky Wildcats. (Go CATS!) Unlike many 11-year-olds, his days are filled with the pungent smell of alcohol wipes and the sting of needle pricks.

That dreadful day in October is quite blurry for Eli. He remembers the concerned looks on adult faces when they saw the glucose meter reading. The next thing he remembers is being loaded into an ambulance headed for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, two hours away. Since that day, he has never complained about the hand he has been dealt but is hopeful that a cure will be discovered in his lifetime. Who knows, maybe he will be the one to find it!