{"id":16654,"date":"2026-02-12T20:04:33","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakthrought1d.org\/nevada\/?p=16654"},"modified":"2026-02-12T20:19:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:19:43","slug":"armstrongfamily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakthrought1d.org\/nevada\/2026\/02\/12\/armstrongfamily\/","title":{"rendered":"A Nevada Family Turning Type 1 Diabetes Into Hope and Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the Armstrong family, type 1 diabetes became part of their lives almost overnight.<\/p>\n

Just after their son Grady\u2019s fifth birthday, he became incredibly sick. Within hours, they were in the pediatric ICU, hearing the words that reshaped everything: type 1 diabetes.<\/p>\n

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 \u201cmagic red dot,\u201d and the screen read HIGH. In an instant, two of their three children were living with type 1 diabetes (T1D).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Through it all, their parents shared, \u201cour kids believe in hope, science, and a future where no one has to face this diagnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n

And they are already stepping into leadership.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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The experience showed them what is possible. As they explained, \u201cWe believe this experience revealed not just a moment, but a path forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that path forward is grounded in what life with T1D really asks of a child, and of the whole family.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor 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\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is why Breakthrough T1D\u2019s Fund A Cure matters so much to our family,\u201d they share. \u201cYour 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Join the Armstrong Family in supporting the T1D community in the way that works best for you<\/strong><\/h4>\n