My story of being discriminated against for having diabetes didn’t stop after earning my Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering from Massachusetts Maritime Academy or changing United States Coast Guard regulations to allow me to go out to sea on merchant ships. The next chapter sounds more like a Ben Affleck movie in the underbelly of Boston.

As an advocate for change, it’s always important to acknowledge the barriers, hardships and difficult conversations encountered within the field. Before I was an advocate, I had to go through different experiences of trials and tribulations with my care team in both the diabetes sector and the general hospital care.

I’m Hannah, and I have been living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) for 13 years. As a personal passion of mine, as well as my current profession, emergency preparedness is crucial for everyone, but even more critical for those living with a chronic health condition like diabetes.