Fund A Cure with Bella Raymond | Breakthrough T1D Syracuse Gala 2026

Bella's Story

I was diagnosed with type one on February 16, 2016 at the age of 10. It completely turned my family’s life upside down. I was stripped of my childhood and I was tired all of the time. I managed to continue to swim with my neighbors for a local club. I found it almost impossible to manage my blood sugar and energy levels while in the pool. I was never even close to being the most athletic kid but I lost touch with athletics trying to get back on my feet.

It wasn’t until the summer before seventh grade that my mom encouraged me to try field hockey. I played in my neighbor’s front yard and decided to give it a try. I’ve never looked back since. There have been highs and lows but through it all I knew I could handle it if I could handle diabetes. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism the second day of my freshman year of college. It completely stripped me of my love for field hockey and made me rethink how much my body could handle. It was a draining feeling losing all desire to want to work out and thinking it was normal. It almost made me quit the sport that I loved, multiple times.

Athletics is one of the most rewarding and challenging things to be a part of. When you add an autoimmune disorder, it can feel impossible and isolating. I still struggle to figure out when I need to take care of myself instead of continuing to push. It makes me feel like I’m an exception and that I’m making excuses. But I’m not like everyone else and that’s okay. The lessons I’ve learned from having type one and sports have been invaluable. I’m now entering my senior season and I could not be more ready to take on my final season and put it all out there.