I’ve lived with diabetes for almost 18 years since I was 7. At first, like most kids living with type 1 diabetes, it was a challenge to learn about this condition, not just for me but for the people around me.

Over the years, with the help of my parents, an endocrinologist and the diabetes organisation in my country, Fundación Diabetes Juvenil del Ecuador (FDJE), I learned more about my condition and how to explain it and teach others, with or without T1D.

When I was in school, most, if not all, of the people around me knew nothing about diabetes, my teachers, classmates, and the school authorities. They treated the condition as a sickness that only older people get or people who eat too much sugar. This misperception is a common problem in the country because of a lack of diabetes education.

So, I decided to teach and explain my condition to my school environment as often as needed. Then, of course, I could have reached out to my parents and teachers for help to explain diabetes, but I chose to go it alone. Nevertheless, this experience would later help me advocate for young people with diabetes, aiming to reach people in my city, Quito, and Ecuador.