I have type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes, and in addition to the daily management of the illness, I also have to work against stigmas surrounding diabetes. People with diabetes are frequently the butt of a joke in the media, or we’re asked why we can’t just “reverse” the illness by eating better; both of these issues undermine the humanity of people with diabetes. Misconceptions about the illness seem to arise from a profound lack of information about diabetes and representation of people with diabetes. It’s important for me and people like me to be understood and to see ourselves represented to eradicate the harmful misconceptions surrounding diabetes.