Cassidy’s Story

My name is Cassidy Sullivan, and I am 22 years old. I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 10 years old, and I still remember being in fourth grade when I found out. At the time, I honestly thought my life was over. I was so embarrassed about wearing an insulin pump and a Dexcom, but most of all I hated when people asked me questions regarding diabetes. It made me feel really insecure, which was hard because I had never  been an insecure person.

Even though I felt that way, I never let diabetes stop me from being myself. I made it through grade school, high school, and eventually college. Once I got to college, I started realizing that living with Type 1 diabetes was a lot more common than I had always thought. Whether I was walking around campus or scrolling through social media, I kept seeing other people living with diabetes, and it made me realize I was never alone.

I have been extremely lucky to have such an amazing support system. My parents and my brother have always been there for me, and when I got to college, my friends were just as supportive. One of my favorite things was how interested my college friends were in learning about diabetes. They were not asking questions because they were being nosy. They asked because they genuinely cared about me and wanted to understand what I was going through.

It was not until I started working for the Chicago Diabetes Project that something really changed for me. I finally stopped caring so much about what other people thought, especially when it came to my diabetes. I realized that being open about my experiences could actually help someone else who might be feeling the same way I once did.

Diabetes is hard. There is no sugarcoating that. But I truly believe that sharing our stories and connecting with one another makes living with diabetes a little less overwhelming. Knowing that you are not alone can make all the difference, and I hope that by sharing my story, someone else feels that too!

Cassidy Sullivan