Age: 11
Age at T1D diagnosis: 9

Lydia has high hopes for the future. “Right now, my future is exciting!” she says. She wants to become a preschool teacher someday. In the meantime, she loves performing in dance recitals, twirling her baton, writing, reading and practicing gymnastics. When it comes to T1D, she says, spreading awareness “is the best part!” She shares her hope with others via a T1D–dedicated Instagram account, selling root beer floats to raise funds for research, and talking to her classmates about the signs and symptoms of having T1D. “We need a cure so I can keep on being myself,” says Lydia. “All kids with type 1 deserve to just be themselves without having to have shots, feel badly and work so hard to give the right dose of insulin.”