Age: 10
Age at Diagnosis: 3

Damian loves sports, particularly baseball and soccer, and he doesn’t shy away from stepping up into some of the tougher roles on his teams. “I like to take on the tough roles to be a leader to my teammates and show them that they can do it too!” When he is older, Damian thinks he would like to be a professional athlete or perhaps the first goalie or catcher with T1D (if there is not a cure of course).

Damian also doesn’t shy away from raising awareness about T1D within his community. He’s given speeches to his class about living with T1D and spoken at JDRF events. When he’s out in public and sees someone looking at his insulin pump or continuous glucose monitor, he doesn’t hesitate to ask them if they’d like to know more about them and what they do. Damian looks forward to coming to Washington, D.C. and using his passion for speaking about T1D and sharing his story to help push for change!

“10-year-old Modesto boy carries message to D.C. and Congress about diabetes, insulin costs,” The Modesto Bee, July 20, 2023