My Story
I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was very young, after becoming ill while staying with my aunt. I ended up in hospital, attached to a drip, learning that everyday life would now involve injections, blood sugar checks, working out food and a level of responsibility most children never have to think about. Some of my clearest memories from that time are strangely ordinary: my dad bringing me potato wedges, learning to tie my shoelaces on the ward and my mom refusing to leave my side.
Diabetes was not completely unfamiliar in my family. My grandad had Type 2 diabetes and my cousin later was diagnosed with Type 1. Even so, being diagnosed myself changed everything. It became a constant presence through childhood, adolescence and adulthood, coming with me through school, relationships, studio sessions, touring, performances and the unpredictable rhythm of being an artist.
There have been frightening moments, hypos, exhaustion, frustrations with sensors and the mental weight of making hundreds of health decisions every day. I do not see diabetes as the whole of my story, but it has shaped my resilience, discipline and awareness of my body. It has taught me that ambition means very little if I am not healthy and present enough to enjoy life.
I’m doing this to show the kids who might be going through the same thing I did, that you can do and be whatever you want and don’t be afraid!
