
Reuben
Age: 16
Age at T1D diagnosis: 11
Age: 16
Age at T1D diagnosis: 11
Reuben is 16 years old and attends Brooklyn Technical High School. Outside and inside of school, he plays jazz piano and composes songs. He enjoys walking around his Brooklyn neighborhood and listening to music, including jazz, new wave, and post-punk music. His favorite musician is Elliott Smith. Reuben is interested in political science and philosophy and is an executive in his school’s philosophy club. Having T1D is one of the factors that has pushed Reuben to better understand his own emotions and how to manage life.
Reuben was diagnosed with T1D when he was 11 years old, two weeks after his birthday. He has a friend group that often travels around and outside the city. It can be difficult to manage T1D on these outings. But it has also been an important experience for him in learning to not only handle type 1 diabetes better but also independence.