At 21 months old, Sam was Piglet for Halloween. Piglet with an IV, that is. He was still in the hospital following a type 1 diagnosis he'd recently received. By the age of two, he could say "insulin," "injection," and "carbohydrate."


At 21 months old, Sam was Piglet for Halloween. Piglet with an IV, that is. He was still in the hospital following a type 1 diagnosis he'd recently received. By the age of two, he could say "insulin," "injection," and "carbohydrate." Sam's parents were shocked by his diagnosis, but determined to help him live a full, happy childhood while managing a disease that unfortunately was already familiar to them. Sam's grandmother has lived with diabetes for 30 years, and his late great uncle suffered from diabetes complications. The Dickinsons became advocates and fundraisers as they met other families affected by type 1 and learned about promising research. Sam is now a funny, compassionate boy who enjoys baseball, mysteries, and science. He plans to be an inventor or "pump scientist" one day, but until then, he makes robots and cities out of recycled materials.

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JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our strength lies in our exclusive focus and singular influence on the worldwide effort to end T1D.