Although I do not have type 1 diabetes (T1D), I cannot remember a time when I did not know what it was. When I was little, I had only a basic level of understanding: as an example, I knew my dad sometimes acted in inconsistent and confusing ways. (I later learned this was caused by low blood sugar.) As I grew older, the depth of my understanding grew too, and I could see how much of my dad’s life and personality was tied to living with T1D. After my dad had a stroke in May 2024, I understood on an entirely different level the ways in which T1D affected his life and the mental and emotional labor associated with it.
My dad, Bob McDermott, was diagnosed with T1D when he was a teenager; he lived 56 of his 72 years being insulin-dependent. After my dad passed in September 2024, I found a copy of the resume he used when he switched careers in his late 40s. At the bottom of that resume, it said: Personal: Age 49, diabetic, married, one child.
Having T1D was a defining part of my dad’s life and family. His mother (my grandmother) and his sister (my aunt) were also affected: Nana was diagnosed in her mid-50s and Auntie Patti when she was five years old. It was through Auntie Patti’s experience that my dad and grandparents learned what T1D was and how to manage it. I remember hearing stories about testing Auntie Patti’s blood sugar using her urine. This would have been in 1960. Eight years later, when doctors told my dad, at age 16, that he too had T1D, sadly, he knew a lot more than most at the time of diagnosis.
In addition to my dad’s two full careers, he had a side hustle before that term was popular. He played the guitar and sang with friends in duos and trios. Music was a major passion of my dad’s all throughout his life, and he found ways to not only use this talent to earn extra income but also to benefit others.
In February 2018, my dad created a fundraiser called Live Music, Live Hope, held at a bar in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Leveraging his connections in the local music community, my dad brought together many different musicians for an afternoon of good music for a good cause. The first Live Music, Live Hope event raised $5,660 for Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF)!
My dad shared this in 2018 when he promoted Live Music, Live Hope:
“While I have lived with T1D through many ups and downs, I’ve also been the recipient of enormous grace that was extended to me through some catastrophic incidents over the years. This kindness from friends, co-workers, and strangers has been inspirational. They’re people just like you, who helped me when I was in dire need. They paid it forward to me.”
My dad was very proud and touched by the incredible success of the fundraiser and all who participated and gave generously.
After my dad passed in 2024, I talked with some of his closest friends about bringing it back as a memorial. Matt Putnam, a good friend with whom my dad used to play music, had already thought of it himself when I approached him with the idea. In short order, Live Music, Live Hope: In Loving Memory of Bob McDermott was in its planning stages.
On Sunday afternoon, October 12, 2025, we gathered at Brack’s Tavern in Middleborough, Massachusetts, to remember my dad and raise money for an important cause. We had a full house with more than 100 attendees. Thanks to Matt and other close family friends, the incredible musicians who shared their time and talents, and all of the giving individuals who purchased tickets, made donations, and bought raffle tickets, we raised $7,007 for Breakthrough T1D Greater New England Chapter in loving memory of Bob McDermott.
In addition to the excellent music and remembrances of my dad on October 12th, we also heard from a young adult living with T1D. I’ve known Ellie Hohenstein since she was four years old, and I am a close friend of her family. Ellie was diagnosed when she was two, and you can watch her remarks here.
My dad’s second career was teaching and during this time, he thoughtfully selected meaningful literature for his students. In particular, he loved the novel Wonder by RJ Palacio and really resonated with an idea in the book that “your deeds become your monuments,” which is another way to say that what we do becomes our legacy.
While there is no doubt that T1D impacted both the quality and length of my dad’s life, it’s also true that having T1D led to a major “monument” of my dad’s life: Live Music, Live Hope. I know my dad was smiling down on us on October 12th and would be so proud to know he can still help people who are living with T1D today because of the critical work Breakthrough T1D does to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat type 1 diabetes and its complications.
-Nicole McDermott