Briar Hogue 

CHANGING THE CONVERSATION for People Living With Diabetes

Briar was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at just one year old in the summer of 2022. After nearly a month of battling different illnesses and showing multiple symptoms, Briar was admitted to Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg. She was in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and doctors were deeply concerned about possible swelling on her brain — a frightening complication that can lead to serious outcomes. 

Her week-long hospital stay included time in the Pediatric ICU, CT scans, and intensive diabetes education for her family as the medical team worked to bring her blood sugars back to a safe range. 

Briar’s diagnosis turned her family’s world upside down. But alongside the fear and grief was a tremendous sense of relief: they were finally leaving the hospital with a plan and the tools to help Briar live a full and joyful childhood. Her family remains deeply grateful for the discovery of insulin and the advancements in diabetes technology — life-saving treatments that make daily management possible, even though they are not a cure. 

Today, Briar is a vibrant little girl who loves Irish dancing, gymnastics, swimming, and playing with her baby brother, Remi. Like many families living with type 1 diabetes, they navigate challenges that most people never see, including waking in the night to treat low blood sugar and facing the reality that daycare and school are often unable to administer insulin. 

Briar’s story is also one of deep connection. Her dad, Kyle, also lives with type 1 diabetes, and her family knows firsthand that diabetes is not something you “solve” with one snack or one injection. It is constant. It is complex. And it is affected by everything from sleep to stress to activity. 

Briar uses a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), which helps her family see her blood glucose in real time. This provides more safety, fewer finger pokes, and better-informed decisions throughout the day — all of which help protect Briar’s health now and in the future. One of the hardest parts, however, is when the device stops working or gives inaccurate readings, reminding them just how fragile the balance can be. 

This year, Briar is walking the runway in memory of her Amma, who passed away suddenly due to diabetes complications. She is modelling to honour her, to raise awareness, and to help create a world where families like hers feel supported, understood, and hopeful. 

While Briar is not old enough to attend D-Camps yet, her family dreams of the day she can. They believe camp will be an empowering experience — a place where she can meet other kids like her, feel included, and simply get to be a kid. And, as her family lovingly says, with a name like Briar, “Camp Briardale” just feels like it was meant to be. 

Briar is modelling in the Pump Couture Fashion Show to help raise funds for D-Camps, challenge stigma, and remind the world that children living with diabetes are brave, unstoppable, and never alone. 

#PumpCoutureFashionShow #ChangeTheConversation #StopTheStigma