Tennessee

Jack

Tennessee, 2023

Age: 15 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 5

Jack is very active and can usually be found in the water! Whether he’s in the pool participating in competitive swimming year-round or out... Read More

Naman

Tennessee, 2023

Age: 17 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 6

Naman is a JDRF Youth Ambassador and Youth Advocacy Leader who is passionate about healthcare affordability. “It is extremely important to me that those... Read More

Reagan

Tennessee, 2023

Age: 16 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 8

Reagan holds several pageant titles (including her current title of America’s Ideal Miss Historic Tennessee), but one of the titles Reagan is most proud... Read More

Clayton

Tennessee, 2019

Age: 14 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 5

Everyone in Knoxville knows Clayton, from his many appearances on the news, to thanking customers at local stores supporting JDRF. Since he was... Read More

Elijah

Tennessee, 2019

Age: 15 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 7

After his grandmother passed away due to complications from T1D, Elijah committed to taking the best possible care of himself and managing his... Read More

Sofi

Tennessee, 2019

Age: 17 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 15

When first diagnosed with T1D, Sofi was anxious about suddenly having to care for her own health, manage medical devices and give herself... Read More

Claire

Tennessee, 2017

Age: 7 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 1

The beeping of her insulin pump isn’t the worst thing about having T1D. But for Claire, it may be the most annoying. The... Read More

Duncan

Tennessee, 2017

Age: 7 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 16 months

Duncan is a Cub Scout, plays baseball and is active in his school’s chess club. A participant in a gifted program called... Read More

Jackson

Tennessee, 2017

Age: 6 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 2

Jackson is very active and enjoys playing baseball, soccer, tennis, wrestling and swimming. He would like to be an astronaut and a bull... Read More

Evie

Tennessee, 2015

Age: 17 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 8

Evie isn’t attending JDRF Children’s Congress just for herself; she’s here to advocate for her younger brother Daniel, too. Daniel was born with... Read More

Owen

Tennessee, 2015

Age: 17 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 12

As Owen puts it, “My life has truly been shaped by diabetes but not controlled by [it]. … I enjoy getting involved in... Read More

Sherman

Tennessee, 2015

Age: 12 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 1

DJ is a seasoned public speaker who has addressed crowds at two JDRF Walk events and at Walk meetings, participated in five JDRF... Read More

Ahmed

Tennessee, 2013

Age: 17 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 1

As the son of two doctors, Ahmed knows that research has ripple effects—even on those who don’t have T1D. “Finding a cure is... Read More

Garrett

Tennessee, 2013

Age: 5 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 1

T1D knows no age limits. Garrett Allen was diagnosed at age one, having spent a fraught night in the neonatal intensive care unit... Read More

Kate

Tennessee, 2013

Age: 17 | Age at T1D diagnosis: 3

Kate has one fail-proof strategy for dealing with T1D: optimism. “I know that it is easy to get discouraged about having type 1... Read More

Callie

Tennessee, 2011

Diagnosed at age two, Callie has learned how to live a wonderful life with type 1 diabetes, but that doesn't remove the challenges that continue to arise as she gets... Read More

Hannah

Tennessee, 2011

One day, while emptying her blood glucose meter pouch of its strips, Hannah started thinking about how to help Congress understand the magnitude of type 1. She started to save... Read More

Piper

Tennessee, 2011

Piper is tremendously active in the East Tennessee Branch of JDRF. She has filmed fundraising videos for the branch, and even got to meet Jared Fogle, the "Subway Guy," and... Read More