Age: 15
Age at T1D diagnosis: 12

“Spreading awareness of this disease is key to the discovery of a cure,” says Mary. She witnessed the power of awareness in action after she recruited her field hockey teammates for her JDRF Walk. “With 22 teammates walking alongside me, I saw firsthand how spreading awareness to others and allowing them to realize just how many people the disease affects is one step towards a cure.” In addition to T1D outreach and field hockey, her other passions include serving as a student council representative as well as a member of the Teens Fighting Cancer Club and Habitat for Humanity, among other clubs. She plans to become an endocrinologist, explaining, “I have seen firsthand how a doctor who has had experience with the disease can affect a patient with empathy, care and knowledge.”

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Two young people represented Kentucky