Evie Boyd

I'm fundraising for a world without Type 1 Diabetes

Hi everyone!! For those who don’t know me, my name is Evie, I’m 17 and this is my 2nd year fundraising for what we now know as Breakthrough T1D.

Type 1 Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the insulin producing cells in the pancreas (an organ behind our stomachs) are attacked by the immune system. This means that our body cells do not receive the energy from our food in order to function. Before treatment, our bodies rely on energy from fat stores, whilst the glucose in our bloodstream increases, which can quickly become life threatening. This causes increased thirst and urination, as well as extreme weight loss and fatigue. 

At the age of 13, I was diagnosed with type 1, having a blood sugar of 36mmol. I had been experiencing common symptoms for around 2 months. Thankfully, my mum was all over it as my older brother, who is now 19, was diagnosed when he was 3. With the help and support of what was previously the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Breakthrough T1D, I learned how to take proper care of myself by counting carbohydrates each meal, giving insulin needles and checking my blood glucose levels. Most of all, and through the help of their Rufus Bear, I have learned that living with Type 1 is something that you do not have to go through alone.

Breakthrough T1D provides a worldwide community where everyday, people are investing funds, time, energy into improving (and hopefully curing!) the lives of those with Type 1. In Australia, 1 in 100 people are living with this condition everyday. For decades, BT1D has provided Australians with life-changing technology that improves the everyday hardship of living with such a complicated disease. 

I have experienced both first and second hand where these donations go, helping both young and older Australian navigate life-changing diagnoses and learning to take proper care of our bodies. 

With your help and support, we can all contribute to BT1D’s live-saving work. 

Whilst fundraising and participating in this walk in early 2025, I found instrumental support in my friends, family and the T1 community. Most of all, I found inspiration in my mum, who despite not living with this disease, never takes a day off in supporting my brother and I. 

So, whether you’re just reading this page or have generously donated, I want to thank you for showing interest in this cause, for both myself and the T1D community.