Age: 15
Age at Diagnosis: 1

Riley is passionate about the importance of T1D research advancements and the development of new technology to make managing T1D easier, and she’s played an instrumental role in both of these areas through her participation in clinical trials like an artificial pancreas study in 2015, and most recently, the Tandem Control IQ study. Riley’s mother and grandmother also live with T1D, so she looks forward to coming to DC to raise awareness and encourage Members of Congress to support T1D research efforts, and continue to fight for affordable insulin to help all those living with the disease.

Riley loves reading, writing, video editing, and doing various crafts, especially sewing. She is proud of being accepted into the National Junior Honor Society, making her local library’s teen advisory board, and keeping her grades up. Riley shares, “diabetes has never been the thing that prevented me from doing the same activities as others,” something she is especially proud of. When she’s older, Riley isn’t sure what she’d like to do, but is thinking of a career in teaching or becoming a pediatric endocrinologist.

“Local Teen Raising Awareness of Juvenile Diabetes,” Culpeper Star Exponent, May 24, 2023