Age: 16
Age at T1D diagnosis: 13

Ella is involved and passionate about activities inside and outside of school. In addition to being a color guard captain, she is a leader in her school’s HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) program, Diabetic Ambassadors club, and student leadership. In the future, Ella hopes to be a pediatric nurse to “make an impact on kids’ lives like my T1D nurse did on mine.”

Ella has an Instagram account, type_happy, where she shares her humor, site changes, and pictures of her diabetic alert service dog, Luca Blue. The account started as a way to cope with her diagnosis and connect with people with T1D worldwide, but it has grown to become the Type Happy Foundation (a 501(c)3 nonprofit), which provides care packages for kids newly diagnosed with T1D.

Ella is a passionate Youth Ambassador who has attended events like the Breakthrough T1D Walk, Golf Outings, and the Gala.