WHAT IS TYPE 1 DIABETES?

Type 1 is insulin dependent - the body makes no insulin. Without insulin, you will die. Type 2 is insulin resistant - the body makes insulin, just not enough.

Type 1 Diabetes is an auto-immune disease that strikes without warning and occurs when a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables individuals to get energy from food.  Without multiple daily injections of insulin those living with this disease would not survive.  In Canada, T1D affects over 1 in 400 school age children.

Aside from the physical effects of living with high and low blood sugars, kids with T1D can often face tough social and emotional experiences such as loneliness, isolation, denial, fear, anger and damaged self-esteem. These challenges can bring about problems in other areas of their lives that manifest not only in their physical health but in their relationships with their families, peers, and health care professionals and their overall psychosocial well-being.