When she was diagnosed just before her 11th birthday – the day before her family was supposed to leave for vacation – Cynthia worried about how her life would change. Now, she plays softball on two teams and has made All-Stars three years running.


When she was diagnosed just before her 11th birthday – the day before her family was supposed to leave for vacation – Cynthia worried about how her life would change. Now, she plays softball on two teams and has made All-Stars three years running. One day, she wants to play softball for UCLA. Cynthia is also a talented trombone player in her school's band, runs long-distance, and sings. She was surprised to realize that she could continue doing everything she used to, while managing her diabetes. Although diabetes can be challenging, Cynthia is grateful for the friends she has made and the passion she has gained to advocate for something as important as funding diabetes research.

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JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our strength lies in our exclusive focus and singular influence on the worldwide effort to end T1D.