Hello, I’m Neha Solanki from India, and I have been living with type 1 diabetes since 2013.
I joined the Blue Circle Voices Network because I believe lived experience can create a kind of awareness that statistics alone cannot. Living with type 1 diabetes has taught me about its physical demands as well as the stigma, social pressures and challenges to mental wellbeing that can accompany it. Over time, I have learnt to transform these experiences into resilience and advocacy rather than allowing diabetes to define me.
Today, I use my social media platform to share the real and often unseen aspects of living with type 1 diabetes, challenge misconceptions and help people with diabetes feel understood and less alone. I have also taken part in diabetes awareness initiatives, including a school workshop with DiYA and IDF, where I engaged with students and helped build greater understanding of type 1 diabetes.
As a Blue Circle Voice, I hope to amplify this work, learn from advocates across different communities and bring my lived experience to IDF’s efforts to advance awareness, inclusion and access to care. Above all, I want to help improve quality of life and ensure people with diabetes feel seen, heard and supported.
“Living with type 1 diabetes has taught me about its physical demands as well as the stigma, social pressures and challenges to mental wellbeing that can accompany it. Over time, I have learnt to transform these experiences into resilience and advocacy rather than allowing diabetes to define me.”
