From Diagnosis to Advocacy: How T1D Changed My Life
When I was ten years old, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It came without warning. One day I was a kid playing with my younger sisters, enjoying school, and living in the carefree rhythm of childhood—and the next, I was being taught how to inject insulin, count carbohydrates, and monitor blood sugar—things that would now be part of my daily life, forever.
At that age, I didn’t know what an autoimmune disease was or why my body had suddenly turned on itself. I was observant—watching everything closely—and deeply aware that life as I knew it had changed. More than anything, I was unsettled by the unknown. But rather than fear paralyzing me, it sparked a determination: a desire to learn more, to understand what was happening, and to find some way—any way—to take action.
That spark led to the very first Dancing for Diabetes performance—on the driveway of my childhood home. From there, it grew into a small production in my middle school auditorium, then to my high school’s stage, and later to the Bob Carr Theater in Orlando. For the past five years, it has taken center stage at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. What began as a backyard effort with a handful of dance peers became a platform for raising awareness, building community, and inspiring thousands. I didn’t have a roadmap. I just had an idea, a passion, and a desire to use my voice to make a difference.
What I didn’t know was that that one evening would become the start of a movement.
Over the years, Dancing for Diabetes grew from a local event to a nationally recognized program, and eventually evolved into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit: Touched by Type 1. Our mission became bigger than just telling my story—it became about empowering others to tell theirs. We’ve grown into an organization that serves individuals and families impacted by T1D through education, support, outreach, and a commitment to helping people thrive—not just survive.
I often reflect on that little girl in the hospital bed, overwhelmed and unsure of what her future would look like. I want her to know that she would grow into someone who leads with heart. That the very thing that seemed to take so much would actually give her purpose. That she would go on to help others feel seen, supported, and strong.
Advocacy wasn’t something I set out to do—it was something that grew out of necessity, out of love, and out of a refusal to accept that this disease had to be faced in isolation.
Through Touched by Type 1, I’ve met countless children, teens, adults, and caregivers whose lives have intersected with mine because of this disease. And every time I meet someone new, I’m reminded that type 1 diabetes doesn’t define us. But how we respond to it—that can change everything.
Type 1 diabetes changed my life. But it didn’t end it. It shaped it. It gave me resilience. It gave me perspective. And most of all, it gave me a mission I carry with pride every single day.
This isn’t just my story—it’s our story. And it’s still being written.
— From The Founder, Elizabeth Forrest
