What I Want Every Parent of a Newly Diagnosed Child to Know
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance your child has just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes—or maybe it’s still new enough that every day feels like a blur of numbers, prescriptions, appointments, and questions you don’t yet have answers to.
I want you to know this first: I see you. I may not know your exact situation, but I know the weight you’re carrying, the decisions you’re having to make, and the fears that keep you up at night.
Because I was once the child you’re trying to help.
I was ten years old when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I remember the hospital room. I remember the way my parents looked—worried, exhausted, trying so hard to be strong for me while silently processing how life had just changed for all of us. I remember watching them try to learn this new language of care overnight—doses, carbs, ketones, glucose—and I remember trying to be brave, even though I didn’t understand what it all meant yet.
Now, as an adult who has lived with type 1 for most of my life—and as someone who works closely with thousands of families through Touched by Type 1—I want to offer you something I couldn’t offer back then: reassurance, perspective, and truth.
Here’s what I want every parent of a newly diagnosed child to know:
1. You didn’t cause this.
Nothing you did or didn’t do led to your child developing type 1 diabetes. This is an autoimmune disease—unpredictable and unpreventable. It’s easy to go down a path of guilt, but please hear me: blame has no place here. What matters is what you do from here, and you're already doing it—by showing up, by learning, by loving your child through this.
2. Your child can still live a full, beautiful life.
Yes, it will take more planning. Yes, it will be hard sometimes. But your child can still dance, play sports, go to college, travel the world, fall in love, and chase big dreams. Diabetes doesn’t eliminate possibilities—it just adds a layer of management to the mix. And your child will learn how to handle it. So will you.
3. It’s okay to not have it all figured out right now.
There’s so much to learn in the beginning. You’re being asked to become part nurse, part nutritionist, part advocate—overnight. That’s not fair, and it’s not easy. But you don’t need to master it all in one day. You just need to take it one step at a time. The learning curve is steep—but you will climb it.
4. Your child is watching—and learning from you.
They will pick up on how you respond to this new reality. If you approach it with calm, even if you don’t have all the answers, they’ll feel that. If you show them that it’s okay to ask for help, they’ll remember that too. Your presence, patience, and persistence will help shape how they see themselves and their diagnosis.
5. You are not alone.
This one is so important. Type 1 diabetes can feel isolating—especially in the beginning. But there is an entire community of people who understand. Families who have walked this path. Kids who’ve grown into adults who live full, vibrant lives. You are not the first to go through this, and you do not have to go through it alone.
One of the reasons I started Touched by Type 1 was to make sure that no child—and no family—felt like they had to navigate this disease in isolation. We’re here to support you, encourage you, and provide the tools, resources, and community that can make this journey a little lighter.
Your child is going to grow into someone strong, compassionate, and capable. I know this, because I did—and I’m not the exception. I’m one of many.
And just as your child will thrive, so will you.
You're doing better than you think. Keep going.
— From The Founder, Elizabeth Forrest
