Bob Parant has been living with type 1 diabetes for over 52 years. Diagnosed at 19 during what he calls the “dark ages” of diabetes care, Bob’s journey has been one of perseverance, adaptation, and advocacy. At the time, diabetes management was rudimentary—urine testing provided little insight into actual blood sugar levels, and treatment relied […]
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Robin C., Missouri
In 2017 Robin, a therapist from Missouri, fell very ill to the point where she could not even stand, so her husband took her to the ER. There, they informed her she had ketoacidosis, specifically a life-threatening form of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and that she only had one day to live without treatment. The doctors […]
Deidre Waxman, Massachusetts
Deidre was diagnosed with Latent Autoimmune Disease of Adulthood (LADA) in 2012, and she’s been forced to make major life changes ever since. Deidre was 60 years old and on Marketplace insurance when she was diagnosed. She went in for her regular annual check-up and got bloodwork done, which showed that her glucose was high. […]
Gail Sredonavic, California
Gail is a thyroid cancer survivor who also suffers from asthma and a permanent bronchial condition that requires her to take asthma and COPD prescriptions in addition to hormone replacement therapy prescribed by her endocrinologist. She’s on a fixed income of $32,000 a year in the San Francisco Bay area and must also rent out […]
Savanna Braun, Arizona
Ever since Savanna was three years old, she has encountered a number of problems with her health. She was diagnosed with asthma following her first attack at age three and had difficulties controlling it until she was twelve. She struggled to find the right medication for her — she had to resort to using adult […]
Sa’Ra Skipper, Indiana
Sa’Ra was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was five years old and remembers her mother struggling to afford medicine. The most disturbing experiences occurred several years ago, after enrolling in college. Up until that point she was able to receive samples of insulin from her pediatrician until she was told that she had […]
Antroinette Worsham, Ohio
Antroinette used to be a mother of two children with Type 1 Diabetes, but today she has only one daughter. Her oldest died a few years ago at age 21 after she “aged out” of government assistance and began rationing her insulin. The price tag for people without insurance is as high as $351 per […]
Catherine Horine, Illinois
Catherine says that she cries every time she sees a story about privatizing Medicare. She is a disabled lung transplant recipient who battles multiple medical conditions and without Medicare, she would die. Before she became sick, Catherine worked as a secretary. She says that her doctors tried to convince her to apply for disability two […]
Steve Venick, Tennessee
Steve Venick has had a degenerative, genetic, arthritic condition since he was 12 years old. By the time he was 20, his health had deteriorated to the point where despite being 6 feet tall, he weighed only 130 pounds. Physical therapy was not helping. Luckily, his doctors finally arrived at a diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis […]