Age: 17
Age at T1D diagnosis: 13

“I absolutely love telling people my story,” says Alexis. And what a story it is: Diagnosed at age 13, she has already endured approximately 8,256 finger pricks, 9,450 insulin shots and 200 pod changes since her diagnosis more than 1,000 days ago. Yet those figures don’t tell the full tale. Alexis also has a number of cherished memories and activities gleaned over her few years living with the disease: singing the national anthem for three consecutive years at the JDRF Walk in Virginia Beach, working with her diabetes alert dog, Captain, and promoting T1D awareness via social media and JDRF events. “Diabetes is not a disease that just affects the person who is diagnosed,” she explains. “It is a disease that can affect a whole community.”