Age: 12
Age at T1D diagnosis: 2

Like many kids with T1D, Nicole didn’t have a history of the disease in her family. Her diagnosis came as a shock, but Nicole has learned how to manage it with the help of her family and her insulin pump. Yet she hopes for a cure that would eliminate pumps and shots. “A cure for type 1 diabetes would mean freedom: the ability to eat what my friends are eating, no more pokes, no more wearing an insulin pump 24/7, no more feeling different than everyone else.”

Nicole and her family have promoted T1D awareness by participating in JDRF Walks, raising $34,000, and attending Promise to Remember Me meetings. Fashionista Nicole has another ambition: she hopes to open her own clothing store one day, donating some of the profits toward finding a cure for T1D.