On Campus with
The College Diabetes Network (CDN) is a non-profit organization
providing peer-based programs that connect and empower students
and young professionals with diabetes. Christina Roth started CDN in
2009 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She was struggling
with balancing her type 1 diabetes and the normal challenges of
college, and there was no diabetes support group on campus. Roth
launched a website and got an overwhelming response from students
on other campuses. Today, CDN has a network of students from over
100 campuses across the United States and is the go-to hub for
everything related to young adulthood and diabetes. The organization
also works with campus administrators, pediatric and adult
endocrinologists, and parents to better support students in all
aspects of their lives. At collegediabetesnetwork.org, students and
families can find resources on everything
for the transition to college, including
choosing a school, packing, studying
abroad, advocacy and much more.
When Ann Bucklin of Manlius, New York,
packed up her twin daughters for college, it was
Hannah—who has type 1 diabetes—whom she fretted
over more. Gone were the days when Hannah’s
elementary school nurse would send home notes
reporting her lunchtime blood sugar. Gone were the
nights when Ann could peek into Hannah’s room and
make sure she wasn’t experiencing a low.
“It’s a process, like any other separation. But as a
parent, I think it’s definitely a little bit harder to let
a child with diabetes go because they just have that
extra concern to always be dealing with,” Ann says.
Ann knew she could trust Hannah, who was
diagnosed at age 6, to take care of herself, but also
wanted to make sure Hannah felt supported at school.
Together they began looking into resources
available on the University of Pennsylvania campus,
where Hannah was studying biochemistry. Because
the Bucklin family used to live in Philadelphia and
Hannah had been traveling to visit an endocrinologist
near the Penn campus since she was a kid, she was
already connected to the medical community. Still,
Ann made sure Hannah had a list of doctors’ phone
numbers, student health contact information, and
websites with the university’s nutrition information.
BUILD A SUPPORT SYS TEM. When it came to reaching
out to other students with diabetes, Hannah took
the reins. She had heard about the College Diabetes
Network (CDN), a nonprofit organization dedicated
to providing peer support and access to information.
The only problem? Penn didn’t have a chapter. So
Hannah started one.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to give
back to the community that supported me all these
years,” Hannah says, “and I also thought it would just
be a great resource to have on campus.”
Today there are about 50 people on Hannah’s
chapter e-mail list. They meet for dinners, host
speakers, and organize fund-raisers for their group
as well as local causes.
KEEP IN TOUCH. Hannah stays connected with
her original support system—her mom. But since
Ann can’t be with Hannah when managing diabetes
gets difficult, she sent a sick-day care package filled
with basic medications, backup snacks, and medical
information. Now Hannah just has to reach for the
plastic bin under her bed when she needs emergency
supplies to take care of situations on her own.
Students don’t have to be completely on their own,
though. In fact, Ann discourages opting for a single
dorm room for safety reasons. Hannah tells students
with diabetes to designate a sick-day buddy—someone
who checks in on them and knows what to do in
emergency situations.
That part was easy for Hannah, whose freshman
roommate also had type 1, but anyone can be educated
about diabetes. Now Hannah lives in an apartment-
style dorm with friends who all know where she keeps
her emergency supplies—just in case.
Providing Hannah with the tools she needs at
school gave Ann peace of mind. And it gave Hannah
a touch of home. “My mom’s been incredibly
supportive,” Hannah says. “She’s always reminding
me to make diabetes the No. 1 priority, despite
everything else going on.” n
DIABETES
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