Breakthrough T1D Nashville Promise Gala 2027

The Powers Family
Kristi and Burt Powers have been married for 21 years and have first called the Nashville area home in 2008. They are the proud parents of Emilie, 18, a senior at Ravenwood High School, and Cooper, 14, a freshman at Ravenwood. Their family is rounded out by Duke, their much-loved English bulldog.

Type 1 diabetes became part of the Powers family’s story when Emilie was just six years old and in kindergarten. What began as a diagnosis they never expected quickly became a new way of life—one filled with blood sugar checks, insulin, counting carbohydrates, sleepless nights, and the constant decisions that come with managing Type 1 diabetes every hour of every day.

Over the years, the Powers family has watched Emilie grow from a little girl learning to live with Type 1 into a strong, independent young woman who has never allowed diabetes to define who she is or limit what she can accomplish. Her strength and resilience have been an inspiration to her entire family.

Their personal journey with Type 1 diabetes is what makes their connection to Breakthrough T1D so meaningful. For the Powers family, supporting Breakthrough T1D is about far more than raising awareness—it is about hope. Hope for better treatments, hope for an easier future for every child and family facing this diagnosis, and ultimately, hope for a cure.

After more than a decade of living with Type 1 diabetes, Kristi and Burt understand firsthand the impact that research, technology, advocacy, and a supportive community can have on a family. They are deeply grateful for the progress that has already been made and passionate about helping create a future where families no longer have to hear the words, “Your child has Type 1 diabetes.”

Until that day comes, the Powers family is honored to stand alongside Breakthrough T1D and this incredible community—to raise awareness, support life-changing research, and help move us closer to a world without Type 1 diabetes.