Lauren was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes – or T1D, as she and her mother, Barbara, like to call it – at just three years old. This diagnosis changed their family’s daily life tremendously. In 1979, when Lauren was diagnosed, checking one’s insulin was much more of a chore and not necessarily accurate all the time. Day in and day out, Barbara helped Lauren with her urine and blood tests to make sure she could properly function in everyday life.

At that time, Lauren, Barbara, and their family were living in Connecticut where Barbara had volunteered with many organizations prior to Lauren’s diagnosis. Inevitably, T1D became her focus. After they moved to the Washington, D.C. area, Barbara and her husband joined other couples with T1D children to found their own chapter of JDRF, an organization that funds research, supports families, and nurtures the community, with the intent to advance breakthroughs for Type 1 Diabetes.

For those who are unfamiliar with Type 1 Diabetes, it is a condition where the pancreas makes little to no insulin. Insulin is a hormone that allows glucose to enter the bloodstream. Lauren notes that for someone who does not have T1D, this process happens automatically. She explains, “They’ll eat a piece of pizza, and their body will know exactly how much insulin to produce. . .” As someone with T1D, she has to essentially guess how much insulin to give herself.

Lauren and Barbara have been involved with JDRF for many years. As a kid, Lauren felt like she was dragged to events. She was there because her parents wanted her to be. As an adult, her relationship to the cause has completely changed. One event that made an impression was the JDRF Ride for the Cure, a 500-mile bike ride. Barbara told Lauren, “Your dad wants to do the ride with you.”

Biking for 100 miles is already challenging, but it requires many more steps of preparation for a participant with T1D. Lauren had to make sure she had all her bike gear, but she also needed to have enough insulin for the ride. She needed to train herself to use her insulin pump while riding. Luckily, JDRF provided seminars that helped diabetic participants prepare for the ride. “It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done,” Lauren says. “It wasn’t until that weekend, where I said to myself, ‘It’s time.’ ” Lauren decided to make a difference at JDRF, not for her parents, but for herself.

Lauren now works as a life coach for people with Type 1 Diabetes as well as continuing her volunteer work. She brags about Barbara having won the International Volunteer of the Year award from JDRF and says that everyone there knows Barbara. Lauren credits her mother’s labors for having inspired her own work.

Lauren and Barbara Rappaport are quite the powerful, inspirational mother-daughter duo. To hear more about their volunteerism, listen to their podcast episode.