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MILTON When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, most children and young adults with Type 1 diabetes were unable to attend camps and other events geared toward their condition.

In order to make up for this, 19-year-old Adriana Richard of Milton along with 15-year-olds Natalie Brogan and Sophie Rinzler started T1D to the Third, which helps connect diabetic children and young adults through online events.

Richards was diagnosed with diabetes at age 5. Rinzler is from Chappaqua, N.Y., and was diagnosed with diabetes at age 4. Brogan is from Woodinville, Wash., and was diagnosed with diabetes in 2016.

T1D to the Third is a support group for type one diabetics around the world. Its goal is to provide a safe space for children and young adults with diabetes to interact.

Participants use Zoom calls to play games, host dance parties, do crafts and host "speed friending" events. The Zoom calls are monthly for three different age groups, 4 to 8, 9 to 12 and 13 to 20. There's also a pen pal program where, individuals pair with others from across the United States to chad about diabetes.

"We're kind of like a support group online to just make sure people are staying connected," said Richard.

T1D to the Third started when the three met each other at the 2019 JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) Children's Congress. During COVID, they started the support group to compensate for the closed diabetic camps.

"It was super important during COVID-19 because there wasn't anything else out there for them," said Richard. "But now I think it is even more important because the world is starting to open back up and this bringing us back together even if it's just one time a month to hang out with each other and it's also connecting diabetics all over the world who might not have gotten to meet otherwise."

In the future, T1D to the Third hopes to do an in-person meet up at some point. The group is also interested in doing something special for National Diabetes Month in November.

Richard attends Shippensburg University, where she is studying special education and early childhood education to become an elementary school teacher. Her work with diabetes includes helping Cedar Crest College of Nursing run a diabetes day camp, andtestifying before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging.

Richard hopes to follow her father Joshua Richard footsteps. He passed away in 2019 at age 39, and was known and well-respected for his nonprofit Walk On Foundation, which provided more than $100,000 in support to individuals suffering from various medical conditions.

"I feel like I'm a miniature him, following in his footsteps and trying to help people," said Richard.

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Milton teen involved in launch of diabetes support program - Milton Daily Standard

This entry was posted on October 15, 2022 at 1:41 am and is filed under Diabetes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |