Ally Hughes

When I was 7, my mom noticed that I was sleep walking. I would sleep walk from my bedroom, down the stairs, to the kitchen and drink an entire 2 liter of regular pop. I would then go to the bathroom and then go back to bed. My mom saw me doing this and was alarmed. She had babysat a kid with type 1 diabetes and knew the signs. She saved my life and caught it quickly. She took me to the pediatrician and he told her she was wrong. The urinalysis proved her right and then I was off to a week long stay in the hospital. This Journey Award is important to me because today is my 28th anniversary of having type 1 diabetes. I can’t believe it. I’m looking forward to celebrating 30, 40, 50 years and so on. Because of my diabetes diagnosis, I pursued several degrees – ending with a PhD in Health Psychology so that I could be a researcher and help people with diabetes and their families. I currently work at a med school where I teach medical students how to speak to and respect people with diabetes.