Fund A Cure with Sabrina Perng | Breakthrough T1D St. Louis Gala 2026

About Sabrina

Hello! My name is Sabrina Perng, and I am truly honored to represent my fellow T1D warriors as a Youth Ambassador for the 2026 Dream Gala. On March 28th, the event will help fund T1D research and make care more accessible, and we would love to see you there!

The journey bringing me here today began with my diagnosis in 2018. In the months leading up to the two-day hospital visit, my teacher started to get suspicious of my frequent water fountain visits and I found myself losing a considerable amount of weight. Unable to stomach breakfast each morning and feeling nauseous at school, I eventually got myself tested for ketones after the revelation I was experiencing textbook diabetes symptoms. Instead of notes from a secret admirer, my Valentine’s day cards were all get-well wishes from my classmates which I read while learning that my future would involve counting carbs, frequent fingerpricks, and manual injections with needles–oh, the horror! At least I got to practice multiplication.

Thanks to the incredible care provided by the healthcare network here in St. Louis, I was privileged enough to switch to a CGM within a year of diagnosis followed by an insulin pump shortly after, both technologies making management much easier. My Dexcom and Omnipod, I soon learned, were both funded by Breakthrough T1D to accelerate research and development. I was sent handbooks and care packages by friends at what was still JDRF, and Rufus is still in my room to remind me I am not alone. Knowing that diabetes used to be difficult to detect and nearly impossible to treat, I am eternally grateful for all the discoveries that led T1D technology to where we are today. So, 7 years into my life as a type 1 diabetic, I decided it was time to pay this community back for all its help.

This will be my second event as a Youth Ambassador with the Kansas & Missouri Chapter of Breakthrough T1D, my first being the Walk last fall. I invited friends over to accompany me along the mile-long trek, and now I am asking you to be part of this next event! Any contribution helps, whether that be spreading the word or making a donation. Your support lets people affected by T1D live easier, longer, and better lives with the hope that one day, the world will be free of this condition. For now, though, I’ll happily take up a chance to enjoy my snacks in class.