Grownup T1Ds

04/21/2026

You’d think a group of adults with type 1 diabetes would be talking about blood sugar.

Nope. 😂

We were sneaking Post-it notes onto each other’s backs!

Little affirmations. Kind words. Random encouragement.

And when people found them… 🥹

The smiles. The reactions. The laughter.

This is what people don’t always see.

The friendships.
The inside jokes.
The comfort of being around people who just get it.

No explanations needed.

It might look small.
But it’s everything.

What would you write on a Post-it note? 💙

04/18/2026

South New Jersey, save the date!
We’re bringing a Grownup T1Ds meetup your way. 🎉
This is for adults living with type 1 diabetes who want real connection.
Meet others who get it, make new friends, and spend time in a space that just feels easier.
You’ll leave feeling uplifted, supported, and not so alone in it.
Details coming soon.

04/17/2026

At Grownup T1Ds, one of our favorite things at meetups is our random card draw questions.

Someone pulls a card… and suddenly we’re sharing real stories, real experiences, and real perspectives about life with type 1 diabetes.

Karin was diagnosed as an adult. And that’s something we talk about often: Type 1 diabetes isn’t just a childhood diagnosis. So many of our community members are adult-onset, navigating a very different and often misunderstood path.

That’s what makes these conversations powerful! We learn from each other. We realize how different our journeys can be, and how connected we still are.

We are different, but so similar. We are ONE 🙌🏼

And we’re growing.
From California to Philadelphia, New Jersey, Boston… with Atlanta and New York chapters launching soon, and more communities forming across the U.S., including Florida and beyond.

If you live with T1D, there’s a place for you here. Come meet your community!

04/15/2026

We asked adults living with type 1 diabetes to be brutally honest…
and the responses?

Unpredictable. Unfiltered.
And some were actually laugh-out-loud funny.

Because this isn’t just about numbers—
it’s doing everything right and still getting unpredictable blood sugars.
It’s burnout no one sees.
It’s the stuff we deal with but don’t always say out loud.

We’ve already had a wave of responses come in through email—
but we want more.

Add yours below 👇 (even just one answer)
Or send it privately if you’d rather.

Responses are anonymous—we’re just sharing real experiences.

The more voices, the more real this becomes.

04/15/2026

New Jersey, Philly!
A great way to meet others!

At Survive & Thrive, connection comes easy — because everyone here is living with T1D, just like you.

Come for the campfires, the speakers, and the break from real life…
Stay for the people who make you feel understood. You belong here.

Register here: campnejeda.org/survive-and-thrive

04/14/2026

Sometimes the most meaningful moments happen when you least expect them.

While away, I met Portia founder of and instantly knew this was bigger than a quick conversation.

Two women living with type 1 diabetes.
Two nonprofit leaders.
One shared mission: breaking barriers, building community, and making sure no one feels alone in this.

Purpose driven leaders, advocates, and community-builders. 💙

There’s something powerful about connecting with people who not only understand the daily reality of diabetes, but are doing something about it.

I’m genuinely excited to collaborate, build each other up, and continue creating space for this community in meaningful ways.

Because none of this work is meant to be done alone.

04/04/2026

Someone shared that she felt nervous walking into her first Grownup T1Ds meetup…
She stepped into a sports bar, looked around, and saw insulin pumps and CGMs everywhere!
In that moment, she knew she was in the right place. 🎉
She’s been coming ever since.

Join us for our next meetup on Sunday, April 26 at 1:00 PM in El Segundo in the South Bay at Brewport Tap House.
We’re especially looking forward to having with us, a licensed therapist who lives with type 1 diabetes.
She brings both lived experience and professional insight into the room in a way that resonates.

These gatherings are connections, conversations, and uplifting time together.

Brewport Tap House
204 Main Street
El Segundo, CA

Free to attend
RSVP at grownupt1ds.org

04/03/2026

Building Grownup T1Ds has given a front-row seat to something we don’t talk about enough:

Adults living with type 1 diabetes don’t manage their care the same way.

And many are doing it without real peer connection.

But when you bring people together in the same room, something shifts.

Less comparison.
More understanding.
And insights you won’t find in a textbook, clinic, or algorithm.

It’s a reminder that support isn’t one-size-fits-all.

And lived experience still matters.

04/01/2026

Really enjoyed this conversation with Stacy Sims on the Diabetes Connections.

We talked about this growing and overlooked population.
Adults living with type 1 diabetes and why connection and support in this stage of life matters.

Grownup T1Ds was built to fill that gap, and it's exciting to see the community expanding across the country.

As we age, we need support - just a different version than what exists in childhood with type 1 diabetes.
Whether decades in, or newly diagnosed as an adult.

What happens when you’ve lived with type 1 diabetes for 30… 40… even 50 years?

So much of the conversation around T1D focuses on diagnosis, childhood, and new technology. But there’s a growing group of people who’ve been managing this for decades and they’re still looking for connection, support, and understanding.

On the podcast this week, you'll hear from Kelly Dawes, the founder of Grownup T1Ds. Diagnosed in 1981, Kelly has seen every era of diabetes care—from no blood sugar meters to today’s advanced tech. Now she’s helping build GrownUp T1Ds, a fast-growing community focused on midlife and older adults living with type 1.

Listen at www.diabetes-connections.com or wherever you get podcasts!

03/28/2026

Definitely 🥇
What else would you receive a gold medal for???

03/27/2026

If you live with type 1 diabetes, this is a chance to be part of something that actually reflects your experience.

We’ve partnered with Fieldwork LA–Orange County on a non-clinical research opportunity happening in Irvine this April.
✔️ No needles
✔️ No devices
✔️ No medical procedures
This is about your lived experience, your perspective, and your time.

There is an incentive for participating.

If you’re in SoCal—or know someone who is—this is worth sharing.

To learn more, sign up here: https://opinari.fieldwork.com/surveys/oc-3215oc26-Diabetes

Fieldwork LA-Orange County