Age: 8
Age at Diagnosis: 6

Lily fondly remembers getting a Rufus bear in the hospital after her T1D diagnosis—she still sleeps with it to this day! From that moment, Lily has been an enthusiastic educator, talking to adults and teaching her fellow classmates about life with T1D. “T1D research is important because without it my life would be a lot harder.” She and her family recently fundraised for their first JDRF One Walk and Lily cheered on her parents as they rode in the JDRF Ride to Cure.

Lily is a very active 8 year old! She plays volleyball, enjoys swimming in the pool, playing with her sister and cousins, and hikes with her family in the mountains of Colorado. She loves to draw and can spend hours watching videos to learn new techniques. When she grows up, Lily has big goals: she either wants to be an anesthesiologist, a singer, or an artist!

“8-year-old Louisville girl traveling to Washington to lobby for renewed funding for diabetes research,” WDRB, June 30, 2023