Touched by Type 1 Conversations: Alexis and Laura Pavlakovich on Finding Community — It Only Takes One Person Who Gets It
There’s something powerful about being understood—without having to explain everything first.In Episode 2 of Touched by Type 1 Conversations, Junior Board Member Alexis sits down with Laura Pavlakovich, founder of You're Just My Type, for a conversation that moves between laughter, honesty, and the realities of living with type 1 diabetes.Together, they talk about burnout, finding your people, and why sometimes, it only takes one person who understands to change everything.
What Is Touched by Type 1 Conversations?
Touched by Type 1 Conversations is a video series created by Touched by Type 1, led by young people with type 1 diabetes & built around real, unfiltered conversations within the T1D community.Each episode creates space for honest dialogue centered on lived experience, emotional realities, and the moments that often go unspoken.
Meet Alexis: A Voice from the Community
At just 16 years old, Alexis brings a warmth and confidence that naturally lightens every conversation she’s part of.Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 2, she has grown up alongside the Touched by Type 1 community. As a Junior Board Member and longtime dance class participant, Alexis represents a generation that isn’t just living with type 1—but helping shape the future of the community around it.
Meet Laura Pavlakovich and You’re Just My Type
Laura Pavlakovich was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 5. Nearly 30 years later, she has turned her experience into a global platform for connection.As the founder of You’re Just My Type, Laura started by photographing people living with type 1 diabetes and sharing their stories—creating something that felt deeply personal and widely relatable at the same time.You can learn more about how You’re Just My Type has grown over the years in Episode 2, exploring where it all began and how it’s evolved into what it is today. Today, that work has grown into an international community, along with in-person events focused on the emotional side of living with type 1.Most recently, that mission came to life in Atlanta through a Community Connections event in collaboration with Touched by Type 1—bringing people together to connect, share, and feel understood.
Watch Episode 2
Watch the full conversation with Alexis and Laura here:youtube.com/@TouchedByType1
A Few Moments From the Conversation
It only takes one person
Community doesn’t have to be big to matter.“Knowing that I have one person that understands what I’m going through is just life-changing for me.”For many people living with type 1 diabetes, that one connection can shift everything. But that is exactly why Touched by Type 1 and You’re Just My Type exist—to bring that community to you.
Doing it alone adds up quickly
Type 1 diabetes doesn’t pause—and trying to manage it entirely on your own can become overwhelming.“If you’re doing it by yourself, that’s just going to be stressful… you’re going to get diabetes burnout very fast.”The mental and emotional weight is real, and without support, it builds.
Support doesn’t have to look one way
While there’s power in shared experience, support can come from people who don’t live with type 1 diabetes too.“There are some genuine people without type 1 diabetes who just want to be there for you.”What matters most is having people who care, show up, and want to understand.
The Power of Being Seen
In this episode, Laura and Alexis reflect on what having type 1 diabetes felt like not that long ago.There was a time when it felt invisible. Fewer devices. Less awareness. No easy way to recognize someone else living with it.Now, that’s changing. With advancements in technology and visibility, it’s easier to spot one another and to recognize, even in passing, that someone else understands.And that recognition matters. Because sometimes, connection starts with something as small as a glance and turns into everything.Both Laura, through You’re Just My Type, and Alexis, through her experience in the Touched by Type 1 community, understand the power of being surrounded by people who get it—and they explore that throughout this conversation.
Learn More About You’re Just My Type
What started as a personal creative outlet has grown into a global community.
You’re Just My Type connects people through featured stories, digital resources, and in-person events designed to support the emotional side of living with type 1 diabetes. From small gatherings to full-day experiences, each event creates space for connection, conversation, and shared understanding.
Whether it’s your first time meeting someone else with type 1 or your hundredth, the goal is the same: to make sure no one feels like they’re navigating it alone.
Learn more about You’re Just My Type, explore upcoming events, and get involved:
Website: www.yourejustmytype.org/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/yourejustmytype/?hl=en
About Touched by Type 1
Touched by Type 1 is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of type 1 diabetes, supporting those impacted by the disease, and funding efforts toward a cure.
Founded on the belief that no one should have to navigate type 1 diabetes alone, the organization creates meaningful opportunities for connection through events, education, and community-driven programs.
From large-scale gatherings to more intimate local meetups, each experience is designed to bring people together—because shared understanding can change everything.Beyond community building,
Touched by Type 1 is committed to advancing education and supporting research initiatives that move us closer to a cure. Through every conversation, event, and partnership, the mission remains the same: to empower individuals, support families, and create a future where type 1 diabetes no longer exists.
You’re Not Alone
If there’s one message that carries through this conversation, it’s this:You don’t have to do this alone.
Whether it’s a full community or just one person, support makes a difference. And sometimes, that difference changes everything.
Looking for your people? You’ve found the place.
Learn more about the community at www.touchedbytype1.org/ and find your people who get it. 💜
