For the Armstrong family, type 1 diabetes became part of their lives almost overnight.
Just after their son Grady’s fifth birthday, he became incredibly sick. Within hours, they were in the pediatric ICU, hearing the words that reshaped everything: type 1 diabetes.
One year later, the family faced another life-changing moment. After the first day of school, what should have been a simple celebration with ice cream brought a familiar fear. Their youngest daughter, Paisley, began showing the same signs. One finger poke, a “magic red dot,” and the screen read HIGH. In an instant, two of their three children were living with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
Today, Grady (9) and Paisley (5) are thriving, resilient, and brave beyond their years. Their middle sister, Hadley (7), has not been diagnosed, but she lives with T1D every day too. She supports and encourages her brother and sister, carrying compassion through the eyes of a sibling. Because T1D does not just affect one person. It reshapes an entire family.
Through it all, their parents shared, “our kids believe in hope, science, and a future where no one has to face this diagnosis.”
And they are already stepping into leadership.
This past year, Grady was selected through an essay contest to travel to Washington, D.C. and serve as the Youth Tree-Lighter for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. His time in Washington led to meaningful connections with the Speaker of the House, U.S. Senators, Nevada Representatives, Congressional delegates, and members of the Presidential Cabinet.
The experience showed them what is possible. As they explained, “We believe this experience revealed not just a moment, but a path forward.”
And that path forward is grounded in what life with T1D really asks of a child, and of the whole family.
“For us, this is not about a moment on a stage or a single night of fundraising. It is about the daily reality behind our kids’ courage. It is about the finger pokes, the alarms, the decisions that cannot be skipped, and the fact that type 1 diabetes does not take a day off. We hold onto hope, but we also know hope needs action. Research is what turns hope into something families can feel.”
“This is why Breakthrough T1D’s Fund A Cure matters so much to our family,” they share. “Your gift helps advance research toward better treatments and, ultimately, cures. It funds breakthroughs in insulin therapies, glucose management technology, and immune based research that could prevent type 1 diabetes altogether.”
Join the Armstrong Family in supporting the T1D community in the way that works best for you
- Support the Armstrong family’s Fund A Cure campaign with a donation from anywhere. Fund A Cure is a 100% tax deductible gift that goes directly to Breakthrough T1D’s cure focused research.
- Join the Armstrong family in person at the Hope Gala on May 8, 2026, at Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
- Sponsor the event and help strengthen Breakthrough T1D’s work.
The Armstrong family put it best:
“Thank you for supporting Fund A Cure. Every dollar raised brings families like ours one step closer to a world where kids can simply be kids.”
