How Camp Kudzu Helped Me Find My Type 1 Diabetes Community

Discovering a T1D Tribe at Camp Kudzu

I still remember getting dropped off at Camp Kudzu like it was yesterday. All around me were kids—laughing, chatting, showing off their insulin pumps. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t “the kid with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)”; everyone had it. It was a surreal mix of relief and excitement, like stumbling upon a secret club where everyone spoke my language.

That first day at camp, I met someone who shared my exact carb ratio and recognized the same “low glucose” look in their eyes. I was amazed by how normal it felt to whip out a glucometer in the middle of lunch and check our blood sugar together. Nobody stared. Nobody asked, _“Does that hurt?”_ or _“What’s that thing on your arm?”_

At Camp Kudzu, T1D wasn’t an oddity—it was just part of the daily routine. I went from feeling like the only one in my hometown to realizing there was a thriving diabetes community I never knew existed.

Why Finding a T1D Community Matters

That sense of belonging planted a seed in my mind: _what if we could create this feeling of camaraderie year-round, not just for a week at camp?_

It’s one of the reasons my co-founder and I built GlucoSense —a platform designed to bring that same connection and understanding into the digital world. We knew that if technology could help us track blood sugar trends or recommend smarter insulin doses, it could also help us connect with people who truly get what living with T1D means.

Spending time at Camp Kudzu taught me just how powerful community can be in managing a chronic condition.There’s something indescribable about being surrounded by people who understand your daily struggles firsthand. You feel seen, heard, and supported.

That’s exactly the experience we want GlucoSense users to have—a place where you can share victories, frustrations, or even silly low-blood-sugar stories, all without judgment.

Bringing That Support to GlucoSense

Here’s the takeaway: finding your T1D tribe—whether in person at a camp or through an online platform—can make all the difference in how you manage the highs and lows (literally and figuratively).

When you know you’re not alone, it’s easier to tackle each new challenge with confidence.

If you’ve ever had a moment where you felt truly supported by a diabetes community (or any community!), I’d love to hear about it! Drop a comment below and share your story.

And if you’re searching for that sense of connection right now, check out GlucoSense—it’s not medical advice, just a place built by and for T1D folks who understand the day-to-day grind.

Let’s keep building our T1D tribe together—one blood sugar check at a time.