I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) a week before my high school graduation.  That left me the summer months to get comfortable treating this disease before heading off to college.

During my time at the College of William and Mary, I was generally very secretive about my disease, telling only those few people who were closest to me and needed to know.  I did everything I could to hide my medical differences from other students; being accepted and seen as “normal” was paramount, diabetes was definitely not the reason I wanted to stand out in the crowd.  My final semester at school was the only time I met another student with T1D, so I really had no peer outlet to discuss the disease or even share experiences and tips.  I know now that being a T1D is absolutely nothing to be ashamed about, but for me, it was much harder to see that at the time.

After school, I moved up to DC to pursue work in policy/government relations and ended up getting an internship with my Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA).  I would read JDRF’s monthly e-newsletters detailing JDRF’s efforts to renew funding for the Special Diabetes Program. JDRF was taking volunteers to the hill to talk with congressmen, and I decided that would be the perfect way to get involved.

It was a great experience to be a part of the congressional meeting alongside other T1D advocates, telling my Congressman about how important the SDP was and convincing him to support the funding.  I distinctly remember the Congressman pointing to me as an example to the younger children that you could still grow up to be healthy and successful even with this disease, as he talked about the good work I was doing for the office.  It was a moment that has been ingrained in my memory and one that has spurred all my other volunteer efforts with JDRF. This meeting also helped me to view my condition as more of an opportunity rather than something to keep hidden, allowing me to feel more comfortable talking freely about my disease to others.

I have since participated in additional meetings with members of congress and the senate, and volunteered to help with the Children’s Congress, Research Summits, the DC and VA walks, and the Galas. To me, volunteering with JDRF is important not just because it is a “good cause,” but because of the myriad ways it will impact your life. 

Volunteering with JDRF has helped me grow as a person and feel confident talking about my disease to others and even advocating publicly on its behalf, something I couldn’t imagine doing just five years ago.  Additionally, involvement with JDRF opens up many new avenues that I otherwise could not have taken advantage of, such as being able to talk to many other T1Ds about their experiences, and learning about new options and treatments under development – both give me hope for the future.

I’ll close by saying that you may not even be aware of many of the benefits that volunteering yields.  Just by showing up and interacting with the other volunteers and advocates, you are inspiring them through your actions and stories, helping them cope with their own issues with T1D. I know that I have already been the beneficiary of this many times myself, and look forward to benefiting even more in the future.