Abby's Story

I am Abby Gustafson and I am sophomore at the University of Kentucky. I got diagnosed with diabetes 15 years ago and now I can’t even imagine my life without it. Diabetes has made me the person I am today. There have been challenges that I learned to overcome and grow from. It has taught me so much about myself and what I am capable of. 

Being diagnosed so young did not give me much insight to realize what was happening to me when it was happening. But, it did give my family and me a chance to start doing as much as we could to support organizations that fund the research for a cure. My family and I were heavily involved with JDRF. This became a huge part of our lives. We worked alongside a family whose daughter was also a T1 diabetic and we began throwing annual parties in the summer to raise money and bring awareness to research for T1D. 

There has never been one thing diabetes has stopped me from doing, if anything it has shown me so much more that I am capable of doing. I have been given a disease that showed me who I am and what I want to be. 

When I got diagnosed at four years old, I looked to my parents while they were explaining to me what was going on with my body and said, "But mom and dad, this isn't fair I don't even know what diabebes are!" Since then I have pushed my self to learn more and more about this disease and also learn the correct way to say "diabetes". 

Abby Gustafson