I can’t believe it’s been five years since Kolbie’s Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis

Five years of holding our breath, learning a whole new world, celebrating tiny victories, and praying through the scary moments. Diabetes is freaking hard — it never stops. It’s a 24/7 job just to keep your child alive. And somehow, through all of that, she’s grown into the most steady, brave, light-filled girl.

I’m constantly in awe of how gracefully Kolbie carries this burden. She never lets diabetes take center stage in her life. She wears her pump and Dexcom like the badges of courage they are. She’s confident, she’s open, she’s willing to explain it all to anyone who asks. She refuses to let this disease dim one single part of her dreams.

We’ve had some terrifying low moments… moments I still can’t think about without crying. Moments where we almost lost her. Watching your child fight for their life in front of you is something you never forget, even if they do. And honestly, I’m grateful she doesn’t remember those lows — I’d rather carry the trauma for both of us than have her relive any of it.

There’s a unique ache that comes with being a parent to a child with type one diabetes. It’s the kind of ache that lives in your chest and stomach at the same time. The alarms in the middle of the night that bolt you awake. The way her face goes pale and her hands start shaking. The panic when the CGM says “no data” and she’s not with me. The constant dance between trusting her independence and wanting to wrap her in bubble wrap. If you know, you know.

But through every high, every low, every sleepless night and every miracle morning, Kolbie has been a rockstar. She’s more than a warrior — she’s proof that courage can live inside a little girl and radiate out into everyone around her. She’s grown so much, learned so much, overcome so much… I wish I shared every milestone because you would all be SO proud of her.

She makes diabetes look easy — even though it never is. And I’m so unbelievably proud to be her mom.