Age: 12
Age at T1D diagnosis: 5

Technology has changed Kiara’s life. Both Kiara and her brother Chase began using the Animas Ping Pump in 2013, which means the two siblings don’t need to endure six to eight needles each day. They also rely on the Dexcom CGM, so they don’t have to do as many finger tests. Yet even with these developments, as Kiara puts it, “My life is different than most kids’. I have to take extra steps before activities to make sure my sugars are okay, and that I stay safe.” Kiara is a student government representative, serves on the yearbook, plays the violin and does horseback riding, volleyball and basketball, all in addition to her T1D advocacy work. When she grows up, she plans to continue giving back in big ways as a pediatric endocrinologist.