In the first installment of this series, Joanne shared how she has witnessed more than six decades of innovation in Type 1 diabetes care, embracing everything from early glucose meters to open-source automated insulin delivery systems. But for Joanne, technology has always been just one piece of the puzzle. Equally important is the power of community and ensuring that people living with T1D have access to the knowledge and support they need to thrive.
From Personal Experience to Public Resource: How Joanne Built a Community Through The Savvy Diabetic
For Joanne, education has always gone hand in hand with community.
Living with Type 1 diabetes for more than 60 years has taught her that no one can manage the condition alone, and that sharing knowledge can make an enormous difference."
It's a lonely disease if you try to do it by yourself," she says. "You cannot manage 62 variables in your head. You can't manage devices that fail or illnesses or stress. You can't do it all, and yet you have to."
That belief took root early. Soon after her diagnosis, Joanne's parents encouraged her to participate in support groups for children with diabetes through their local community. Seeing other young people facing the same challenges left a lasting impression."
My parents got me into doing these little support groups when I was first diagnosed," she recalls. "It's always been something that resonated with me."
Years later, an unexpected medical emergency would inspire her to help an even broader audience.
The Fourth of July That Changed Everything
In 2007, Joanne traveled to New York with her husband to help move her mother to California. What was supposed to be a week of packing quickly took an unexpected turn when she developed severe stomach pain and landed in a crowded emergency room over the Fourth of July holiday with appendicitis.
She suddenly realized she wasn't prepared.
Without a medication list or medical summary readily available, she found herself trying to reconstruct critical information while in pain and surrounded by the chaos of an overburdened hospital.
Looking back, Joanne considers herself fortunate that everything turned out well."
When I got back to California, I said to myself, 'This is not the way to do life. I was so unprepared. I was just lucky that everything went okay.'"
What began as an idea for a simple preparedness pamphlet soon grew into a comprehensive survival guide for people living with Type 1 diabetes."
I called the book a survival guide because no one had taught me this," she says. "I figured if I learned it, other people might want to know and would not have to live through being so unaware."
Building The Savvy Diabetic
The book was only the beginning. Joanne launched a website and eventually began publishing a weekly blog, creating what would become The Savvy Diabetic. Since 2014, she has consistently shared practical information designed to help people navigate the everyday realities of living with T1D.
Preparedness remains one of her biggest priorities. She encourages people to keep an up-to-date medication list, pack a diabetes emergency kit, and bring their own supplies whenever they're hospitalized."
They're busy taking care of whatever you're in there for," she explains. "If you break a leg, they're taking care of your broken leg. They're not taking care of your diabetes."
Beyond emergency planning, Joanne regularly highlights new research, FDA developments, emerging technologies, and practical tips for everyday life. She also believes in celebrating the lighter side of living with diabetes, sharing stories about pets, humor, and coping strategies alongside more technical topics."
If I'm interested, someone else might be interested," she says. "I just share the information."
Her commitment to community extends beyond writing. In 2014, she hosted one of the first Nightscout build events in Orange County, bringing together people from around the country to learn from one another. A few years later, she founded what would become the Loop and Learn community, helping thousands of people better understand open-source diabetes technology and reminding them that they don't have to solve every challenge on their own.
For Joanne, that's the heart of it all. Whether she's writing a blog post, organizing a community event, or sharing the latest research update, her goal is simple: make life with Type 1 diabetes a little less overwhelming by ensuring no one has to face it alone.
Staying Informed and Staying Hopeful
For Joanne, building community has never been about having all the answers. It's about making sure people know where to find them and reminding them that they don't have to navigate Type 1 diabetes alone.
That same philosophy is what first drew her to Diabetes Research Connection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, while hosting Zoom sessions to educate others about Loop technology, she became increasingly interested in connecting with researchers and learning about the next generation of breakthroughs."
I really want to know who's got the cutting-edge stuff we can pay attention to early," she says.
For Joanne, staying informed means staying hopeful. By connecting people with practical resources, emerging technologies, and innovative research, she believes the diabetes community can continue moving toward a future with better treatments and, ultimately, a cure.
In our upcoming final installment of The Savvy Diabetic interview series we’ll speak with Joanne about her latest passion project T1D to 100.
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Explore The Savvy Diabetic
Discover Joanne's educational resources, practical tips, and the latest updates in diabetes technology and research at The Savvy Diabetic.
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