Photo: Rick Bhatia
Actress Jennifer Stone was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the tender age of 20. You may remember her as Harper Finkle in Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place,” the adorable sidekick to Selena Gomez’s character. Stone grew up in Arlington, Texas and knows all too well the daily struggles someone with Type 1 deals with on a day to day basis.
Stone, now 24, was shocked at the diagnosis and shared its part of the reason she wanted to get involved with Beyond Type 1 and the Diabetes Associaton. “There was so much I didn’t know about it, and I didn’t know it was possible to get diagnosed with Type 1 that late,” shared Stone. “I started to lose my eyesight, and gained weight and thought there was something wrong with my Thyroid.” Like many, Stone was in unchartered territory with a range of emotions going through her mind. “It was a very scary time and really overwhelming. It felt like my entire life was turned upside down,” shared Stone. “It was a really big mountain to climb I wasn’t expecting to climb at the time.”
“How you eat an elephant – one bite at a time,” laughed Stone as she shared this was advice she received from her grandmother that helped her tackle the road she now faced ahead with Type 1. “I just need to handle this one day at a time, and I’ll get to where I can balance it,” said Stone. She shared that she can safely say even though she has days where it’s frustrating, it isn’t as overwhelming for her as when she was first diagnosed.
Even though she had doctors tell her she would have to quit acting, Stone was not about to give up her passions and dreams just because of this diagnosis. A trailblazer and inspiration to many, she is changing the fabric of what it means to live with Type 1 by being a voice for many and breaking down barriers to bring more awareness to the forefront through organizations such as Beyond Type 1 of which she is part of their Global Ambassador Council.
Stone’s passion as she speaks about making sure everyone has a place to find answers to help them in their journey with diabetes is uplifting and motivating. “I am trying to be as open and honest about my daily struggles with Type 1,” shared Stone. On a small scale, she will share a daily struggle with Type 1 on social media so that others can relate. “On a larger scale, I am looking for different legislation to bring more awareness and education to schools and also to help people get the equipment they need to make their lives as easy as possible with diabetes.”
A positive aspect of her diagnosis, Stone shared is “that its made me take care of myself more. How I approach work and life are it’s forced me to stand up for myself and take better care because I have to and I’m really thankful for that.” With the strong support system, she has in her mother, along with adjustments to her lifestyle, Stone has found a balance to tackle her diagnosis head-on. “You have two choices, you either let diabetes win or you’re going to conquer over it,” shared Stone who is also close to getting her nursing license, a field she is well versed in as she discussed the breakdown of diabetes on your body and its misconceptions. Not only a darling on screen but a warrior in the fight against this disease.