How we found out:
Kolbie had been sick for a few days before we finally brought her to the doctor. Looking back, all the signs were there… but at the time they felt like little things that were easy to explain away.

She was SO thirsty — constantly drinking but never satisfied. She was peeing nonstop and waking up at night to go to the bathroom. Then she started throwing up and couldn’t keep anything down for two days. She looked so tiny, frail, and skinny. I knew something was wrong, but I never imagined diabetes.

We took her in thinking she needed fluids. Her blood sugar was 750. I remember asking, “Could it be anything else?” But deep down, I knew. That was the day everything changed.

The signs of type one:
Type 1 symptoms can show up fast, and most parents don’t recognize them until things get scary.
• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination (even at night)
• Extreme hunger
• Unintended weight loss
• Irritability and mood changes
• Fatigue and weakness
• Fruity-smelling breath
• Bed-wetting
• Blurred vision

I chalked her mood changes up to age. She was losing weight but also growing. I ignored the little things… until she stopped eating. That’s when my mom alarm finally went off. After that, the symptoms came hard and fast — the peeing, the breath smell, the exhaustion. By then, she was very sick.

We share this story hoping it helps another parent recognize the signs sooner — and to remind every T1D family that you’re not alone.

Thank you for loving Kolbie and supporting us through this journey.