It was Emmet's day.
On November 14, World Diabetes Day, Emmet O'Sullivan was honored with the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation's 2024 Perseverance Award.
O'Sullivan, a 17-year-old senior at Regis High School in Manhattan, is not your typical advocate. At the age of 13 he was diagnosed with type one diabetes (T1D), a chronic disease for which there is no known cure.
Despite his young age, he has emerged as a prolific advocate of the T1D community, a bestselling author, a startup founder, an event speaker, and a partner to many nonprofits.
In his remarks, Emmet, upon receiving his award, noted, “This award is not just a personal milestone; it’s a celebration of everyone who has helped and inspired me and a rallying call to support Diabetes Research Institute Foundation's (DRIF) mission to discover a cure for diabetes.”
Emmet was diagnosed with T1D in a New York emergency room in 2020, having arrived with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening complication of diabetes. Since then, he's been on a mission to create awareness of T1D, advocate for affordable insulin, and help raise funds for research to find a cure.
“Since neither my family nor I knew the symptoms of T1D, we were slow to seek treatment. I was fortunate to survive,” he explains.
“T1D is commonly misunderstood and misdiagnosed. I decided to educate families on the signs of the disease to encourage people to get timely care and avoid the complications of late diagnosis.”
Emmet brings an entrepreneurial approach to his advocacy, creating accessible and engaging content and tools. He authored and illustrated the children’s book "Drew Discovers Diabetes," which became an international bestseller on Amazon.
The charming tale of an adventurous dinosaur teaches all families about common T1D symptoms and empowers children with the condition. Beyond awareness, Emmet’s approach to advocacy is creative, too.
His latest venture, www.policyplayground.org, is a non-partisan website that makes it easy for citizens to write to their U.S. senators about bills before Congress. The site features 24 healthcare bills, including two diabetes-related bills, and a pre-written letter that allows people to write their senators in less than a minute.
“People with T1D require insulin to live. I was appalled to discover that many individuals ration insulin because they can't afford it. I created Policy Playground to provide citizens a simple way to learn about bills and contact our legislators. Please try it out.”
More than 37 million people, or 11.3% of the U.S. population, have diabetes. Emmet is optimistic about a cure and underlines the need for funding.
“Organizations like the Diabetes Research Institute are making exciting advances towards a cure for diabetes. I share my story at fundraisers and in the media to educate people about diabetes and encourage governments, organizations, and citizens to donate to research to find a cure for it.”
Emmet's story is a cause for optimism. His work is a reason for hope.
