Hattie Saltzman

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on December 20, 2013 at 16 years old. My father is a type 1 diabetic so we caught the signs very early and I was not scared. I think I am an anomaly in that I am truly glad I have type 1. It has shaped so much of my life. My diagnosis motivated me to be more interested in science and ultimately guided me to my career in public health. I became wildly more empathetic and understanding of others. I learned so much about how the medical system and insurance works much earlier than I would have otherwise and now I am a great resource to my friends who are navigating these systems sometimes for the first time. I became a strong and vocal advocate for those with disabilities such as my own. While it is hard, and often sad, I am so grateful to be a part of the t1d community and and beyond excited to be approaching 10 years. I think I wasn’t scared at 16 because I knew from day 1 that this was going to change my life in a positive way. I have shed a lot of tears in the last decade but those tears are not heavier than all of the massive successes I have earned.