Emily Morgan Bahret

When I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I was coming out of the eighth grade. I had just been told I was chosen for the high school varsity cheerleading squad and was getting ready to go to cheer camp. My summer looked very different after I was diagnosed with type one diabetes. Funny enough, I grew up in a very small town with only six girls in my entire grade, and my very best friend had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes a few years before that. After I was diagnosed, some people thought it might be contagious. We went around to each of the classrooms and educated everyone on diabetes and how we take care of ourselves. I went on to be a successful, varsity cheerleader, and I also participated in every sport my high school had to offer. I even played two sports in college. After college, I went on a date with a man I was really enjoying getting to know. Coincidentally, on our first date, he took out his insulin pen and said that he had type 1 diabetes and needed to take a shot as we ate our dinner. We ended up getting married and just celebrated our 11th anniversary last year. We have three children and so far none of them have diabetes, but we are always prepared and feel ready to take on the challenge. Should it arise. I am extremely grateful for the advancements in medicine and technology that have made this disease so much easier to treat over the past 25 years. Thank you for honoring us with these awards!