Diabetes and Me

"Children with diabetes can live full, happy, productive lives. I hope my story can stand as proof of that fact." Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age seven, Wendy Louise Novak had to create her own path in a world defined by stigma, struggle, and hope. Her only role model was her fiercely independent but secretive father, who grew up in an era when diabetes meant a difficult, and often short, life. He taught her to "follow the rules" but also follow her goals. That sense of self-reliance carried Wendy through college to a successful career and a loving marriage as she navigated the highs and lows of a condition that was still gaining acceptance. "I never wanted to be the kind of person who stayed home and worried about whether or not I could take it, and so I didn' t." A world traveler and an advocate, Wendy is now the face of the Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute, which supports groundbreaking clinical services, education, and research to ensure young people with diabetes can thrive. In this honest but uplifting account of a life well lived, Wendy shows patients and families that a diagnosis doesn't define your life.