Age: 16
Age at T1D diagnosis: 9

Heiab, now a sophomore in high school, loves playing baseball, which he has been doing for 4 years. During his free time, he loves to run on his treadmill and play other sports like basketball and soccer. While an honors student, he enjoys participating in extracurricular clubs like robotics and debate. After he finishes high school, Heiab wishes to pursue a career in the tech engineering field.

Having T1D hasn’t been easy for Heiab, but with advances in technology, he has been better able to manage his condition. He is very passionate about educating others who are unaware of T1D. That’s why he desires to go to Congress to advocate for continuous research funding and T1D awareness programs. He and his family have been involved with Breakthrough T1D for six years and have participated in the yearly Walk and community summits. He is very excited to share his story with congressional leaders to help make a difference. He says, “If I can just change one person’s life, then I can shake the world. Diabetes doesn’t define my life.”