suki kaur

CHANGING THE CONVERSATION for People Living With Diabetes

Suki was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at the age of 13 while living in India. She remembers that time as confusing and overwhelming. At an age when life already feels full of change, diabetes added a new and unexpected reality. Daily injections, blood sugar checks, and strict routines became part of her world almost overnight. Feeling different from her peers, she relied heavily on her family, especially when it came to school and food. Her sense of normalcy shifted quickly, and she learned responsibility and resilience far earlier than most. Over time, diabetes became something she carried with her every day, rather than something that defined her.

Living with diabetes means managing a constant and often invisible workload. Physically, there is the need to monitor blood sugar levels, adjust insulin, plan meals, and anticipate activity. Emotionally, the unpredictability can be exhausting. Even when everything is done “right,” blood sugar levels do not always cooperate, which can lead to frustration or burnout. Socially, there is the challenge of blending in, navigating food-centered gatherings, and managing highs and lows in public without drawing attention. Much of the hardest work happens quietly, long before or after anyone notices.

Living with diabetes has shaped Suki into someone who is resilient, disciplined, and deeply self-aware. It has taught her how to plan ahead, problem solve in real time, and accept that not everything is within her control. Over the years, her focus has shifted away from perfection and toward balance and self-compassion. Diabetes has also influenced her path by strengthening her empathy and drawing her toward healthcare and advocacy.

Something meaningful about Suki is how she bridges lived experience with professional purpose. Living with T1D shaped her journey into healthcare, where she now uses both clinical knowledge and personal insight to support others navigating chronic illness. She is passionate about education, advocacy, and helping people feel seen and empowered as whole individuals living full lives beyond their diagnosis.

Suki is modeling in the Pump Couture Fashion Show to help change how diabetes is understood. Through visibility, education, and authenticity, she hopes to challenge stigma and remind others that while diabetes is part of life, it does not limit what is possible.

#PumpCoutureFashionShow #ChangeTheConversation #StopTheStigma