Age: 16
Age at Diagnosis: 9

Jayda is very involved at her school – she was voted class president by her fellow classmates, and she is a member of the gardening and coding clubs. Jayda loves to surround herself with art. She has a record and CD collection that is constantly growing and spends a lot of time at the Detroit Art Institute drawing and viewing artwork. Jayda hopes to be an elementary art teacher when she is older “to inspire kids and help them find their own creative spirit.” 

Jayda has an Instagram account, @thatdiabeticgirll, where she shares photos and videos of her personal experiences living with T1D. She’s a JDRF Youth Ambassador and a dedicated volunteer. One of her favorite experiences was speaking on stage at her first JDRF Gala. “I have spent eight years battling T1D, but I have also spent eight years fighting for progress.”