#1765 Tandem Kids: Riley

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1765 Tandem Kids: Riley

Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Riley, age 15
Date: February 8, 2026

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Overview

In this episode, Scott Benner interviews Riley, a 15-year-old from Marysville, Ohio, who has lived with type 1 diabetes since early childhood. Riley shares candid insights about growing up with diabetes, managing it through various stages of life, adapting to new technologies (including the Tandem Mobi pump), and the unique experience of having both a sibling and a parent diagnosed after her. The episode offers an honest glimpse into the daily realities and emotional challenges faced by young people with type 1 diabetes, focusing on community, family, and the value of peer support.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Riley’s Diagnosis Story

• Riley was diagnosed at age 3, on her brother's birthday.
• Her mother became concerned due to symptoms like bedwetting, excessive thirst, and fatigue.
• Memorable moment: Riley describes being hungry on the way to the ER and stopping for Burger King.
• Emotional recollection: “I was just sitting there, and I was, like, crying because I didn’t want to be there.” (02:12)
• Early diabetes management meant lots of finger pokes—no CGMs or pumps in 2013—leading to Band-Aids covering her fingers.
• She recalls differences at her brother’s birthday: “Everyone was getting, like, the triangle slices of cake, but I had to get the two by two square. …So they could actually count the carbs, make sure I got enough insulin.” (02:48-03:07)

Growing Up With Diabetes

• Riley has played lacrosse but sometimes needs to sit out due to low blood sugar or ketones, leading to feelings of being judged or different.

  “I feel like people are, like, judging me because I’m sitting out, but there’s nothing I can do about it.” (03:35)

• She credits her “amazing friends” for offering support, which was easier in her small elementary school where everyone knew she had diabetes.
• Meeting another student with type 1 was a relief and source of connection:

  “Yes, it did [make me feel better], because we were, like, best friends. Like, we shared stories.” (04:11)

Life at Friends for Life Conference

• Riley expresses a sense of belonging among other kids with diabetes at the conference:

  “I feel more like since most people here have type one, that we’re not such a smaller group... It’s normalized here.” (04:29–05:16)

• The normalization of diabetes at the conference lightens emotional burdens and reduces stigma.

Body Image and Devices

• Riley is self-conscious about scars from pump sites and feels hesitant to wear swimsuits:

  “I have a bunch of, like, scars all over my stomach and my legs, so I can’t really go out and, like, wear, like, a swimsuit because everyone’s gonna be like, what’s on your stomach?” (06:00)

• She sometimes hides her devices and values privacy, especially at school.

Pump and Injection Experiences

• Riley has toggled between injections and pumps over the years:
  • Started with injections, moved to Omnipod, then Tandem T:slim, and later back to injections for a “reset.”
  • Prefers pumps for discretion at school: “If I’m in class with, like, an insulin pump, I can just press a few buttons and no one would know.” (07:43)
  • Interested in the Tandem Mobi because of its concealability: “Yeah. Concealable? Yeah. That’s why it’s attractive to you.” (08:19–08:20)
• She decides independently when to switch between pumps and injections, with family involved in choice of device.
• On the Control IQ algorithm:

  “It’s easier to, like, understand from, like, other insulin pumps... I like how sometimes I don’t have to put in carbs and stuff, or not carbs, like a correction because it’s already correcting for you.” (09:03)

Impact on Daily Life & Mental Load

• When pumping with Control IQ, she thinks about diabetes less:

  “With the Control IQ, it’s way less.” (09:46)

Family Connections

• Her dad and brother were both diagnosed with type 1 last year; her sister is being monitored.
• On not being the only family member with type 1:

  “Kinda because I’m not the only one who’s, like, doing this stuff. So they’re kind of there with me.” (10:38)

  • But she was also conflicted:

    “I kind of didn’t want them to have it because it’s like a little bit extra steps.... I didn’t want them to have to do that.” (14:17–14:32)

• Riley is proud that her dad, now also living with type 1, is “always standing up” for her, especially dealing with insurance:

  “He was, like, on the phone with them 24/7, trying to get them to, like, approve the stuff.” (12:08–12:18)

Tech and Self-management

• Both she and her brother use a Dexcom G7; brother is on Omnipod 5; she’s trying Mobi.
• She helps teach her brother practical diabetes tasks, like linking devices and carb counting.
• Both count their own carbs and manage their own care.

Additional Health Context

• Riley also has hypothyroidism; celiac is present in an aunt.
• Anxiety is present in her family, though Riley herself does not feel anxious.

Aspirations and Reflections

• She hopes for greater comfort and discretion with new devices like the Tandem Mobi.
• Her approach to switching therapies is pragmatic, seeking the right “reset” to improve blood glucose control.
• Riley values the ease of automated corrections through Control IQ, which decreases her diabetes-related mental burden.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Riley on childhood diagnosis:

  “I was just sitting there, and I was, like, crying because I didn’t want to be there.” (02:12)

• On being seen as different:

  “I feel like people are, like, judging me... but there’s nothing I can do about it.” (03:35)

• Finding community:

  “Yes, it did [make me feel better], because we were, like, best friends.” (04:11)

• On stigma and normalcy:

  “Everyone here is, like—it’s normalized here so they, like, know what’s going on.” (05:11)

• Pumps vs. injections:

  “Sometimes I just need, like, the reset.” (07:09)
  “If I’m in class with, like, an insulin pump, I can just press a few buttons and no one would know.” (07:43)

• On family members’ new diagnoses:

  “Kinda because I’m not the only one who’s, like, doing this stuff.” (10:38)
  “I kind of didn’t want them to have it because... it’s just extra steps, and I didn’t want them to have to do that.” (14:17)

• On her father:

  “Because he’s always standing up for me. And when, like, insurance wouldn’t cover something, he was, like, on the phone with them 24/7.” (12:08)

• On control and technology:

  “I like how sometimes I don’t have to put in... a correction because it’s already correcting for you.” (09:03)
  “With the Control IQ, it’s way less.” (09:46, regarding time spent thinking about diabetes)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Diagnosis Story & Early Experiences — 01:20–03:07
• Challenges Playing Sports & Peer Support — 03:07–04:18
• Friends for Life Conference & Community Feels — 04:22–05:16
• Device Visibility, Body Image, & Privacy — 06:00–08:09
• On Switching Therapies (Pumps/Injections) — 07:09–08:43
• Tech Preferences: Control IQ Discussion — 09:01–09:46
• Family Diagnoses & Emotions — 09:54–14:32
• Daily Self-Management & Teaching Siblings — 13:01–13:35

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Tone and Atmosphere

• Riley is open, matter-of-fact, and occasionally self-deprecating.
• The conversation is warm, supportive, and authentic, peppered with real-life moments and gentle humor.
• Scott is empathetic, draws comparisons to his own daughter’s experiences, and invites thoughtful reflection from Riley.

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Summary Takeaways

This episode provides a powerful, first-person look at growing up with type 1 diabetes, navigating its emotional and social complexities, and making choices about technology and care. It highlights the importance of community, family, and empowerment—showing how peer understanding and family solidarity can lighten the daily burden of chronic illness. Riley’s story is both unique and deeply relatable for anyone managing type 1 diabetes or supporting a loved one who does.

Transcript

[A]

I attended my first ever Friends for Life conference in July of 2025. And while I was there, I interviewed eight children of various ages, all who wear a tandem pump. I want to thank Tandem Diabetes for sponsoring this short episode of the Juice Box podcast. Check them [e-mail] juicebox nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan. The episode you're about to listen to is sponsored by TandemMobi. The impressively small insulin pump. Tandem Mobi features Tandem's newest algorithm, Control IQ Technology. It's designed for greater discretion, more freedom, and improved time and range. Learn more and get started [e-mail] Chandra Juice Box.

[B]

Hi. How are you?

[C]

Good. How are you?

[B]

I'm excellent, thank you. What's your name?

[C]

Riley.

[B]

Riley, how old are you?

[C]

15.

[B]

And where are you from?

[C]

Marysville, Ohio.

[B]

Awesome. You have type 1 diabetes.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

How long ago were you diagnosed?

[C]

12 years.

[B]

12 years ago when you were 3?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Do you remember anything about that?

[C]

It was on my brother's birthday, so go ahead. We were at, like, Chuck E. Cheese or something, and I just. No, we were not Chuck E. Cheese. That's where we went after I got released from the hospital. We. My mom, she was like, I need to take my daughter to the doctor. To the doctors, because she's, like, wetting the bed and she's always thirsty, and she's just like. She's just, like, sleeping all the time. So she took me to the doctor, and he's like, you need to take her to the ER right now.

[B]

Right.

[C]

So. But I was really hungry, so we stopped for Burger King. So when we got to the hospital, and I remember, like, we were in this big room, but there were, like, a bunch of toys in there. So they gave me, like, a coloring book because I was just, like, sitting there, and I was, like, crying because I didn't want to be there.

[B]

Right.

[C]

And I remember I was like. There was one time I was sitting in the room, I had Band Aids all over, like, all 10 of my fingers, and I was eating, like, the American, like, craft singles and baby carrots, and I was just sitting there eating.

[B]

Cheese slices and baby carrots.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

What were the Band Aids on your fingers for?

[C]

From all the times I had to poke my fingers to my blood sugar.

[B]

Oh, my gosh.

[C]

Yeah. Cause this was 2013, so they didn't, like, have dexcoms or insulin pumps then. So I had, like, Band Aids all over me from where they had to give injections and stuff.

[A]

Right.

[C]

So. And then after that, since it was my brother's second birthday, we went to Chuck E. Cheese, and I remember crying because everyone was getting, like, the triangle slices of cake, but I had to get the two by two square.

[B]

Different carbs.

[C]

Yeah. So they could actually count the carbs, make sure I got enough insulin.

[B]

So you've grown up with type 1 diabetes. Have there been moments where you've, like, felt like you've overcome something? Have there been moments where it's been hard?

[C]

Yes, there are. Like. So I play lacrosse for my school, and there are many times where I've had to, like, sit out because I'm too low or I have ketones, so I can't do anything, but I still have to be there.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So I'm just watching everyone play or practice or something.

[B]

How does that make you feel?

[C]

I feel like people are, like, judging me because I'm sitting out, but there's nothing I can do about it.

[B]

Okay. So do you feel supported by some friends and others not? So you have, like, a good circle.

[C]

Of friends, Amazing friends.

[B]

How did you make that happen? Did you, like, tell them about your diabetes? Did you?

[C]

Well, they kind of already knew because, like, I went to, like, a smaller elementary school. So you're the kid with diabetes, so everyone knows.

[B]

Oh, I see. There's no other kids. It was you?

[C]

It was me until third grade, and.

[B]

Then somebody else showed up.

[C]

Yeah, well, she was already there, but she.

[B]

She was diagnosed.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Crazy question, but did it make you feel better when somebody else was there with type one?

[C]

Yes, it did, because we were, like, best friends. Like, we shared, like, the stories and.

[B]

Yeah. You know, we're still today.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Oh, that's awesome. So you're here today at Friends for Life.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

There's a ton of kids here with type 1. What does it feel like to be around so many people were in CGMs, Moby Pumps, stuff like that.

[C]

I. I think it. I feel more like since most people here have type one, that we're, like, not such a smaller group. It's like the majority of people here have it. So it's like, is it like.

[B]

I don't know, does it make you feel lighter?

[C]

Yeah. Like, if I say something and someone's like, oh, yeah, I have that too.

[B]

So it's just easy. Other people beep. Nobody acts like it's crazy. Right. And you're just like. And it makes you feel like normal is the wrong word, but, like, there's. What. What is it like, there's a thing that's happening when you're around other people who don't have type one.

[C]

Like, there's a stigma. There is. Like, you have to be like, you're always high or you're, like, always beeping. And they're like, can I catch it?

[B]

And then.

[C]

But everyone here is, like, just like, it's normalized here, so they, like, know what's going on.

[B]

Yeah. So when you say the things you say all day long, nobody thinks, hey, I'm high. Or your mom's yelling, do something, you're high. Or that kind of thing?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah, I understand. Okay. So you told me about the day you were diagnosed. That's crazy. Is that from stories that you were told from your parents or you actually.

[C]

But I remember some of them.

[B]

You have a mix of it.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. And then growing up, you've got friends, they're supporting you. What has been. Tell me about a moment, I guess, where you've thought, like, I can't believe I accomplished this. And you had, like, a big accomplishment despite diabetes.

[C]

I don't know, Is it tough?

[B]

Do you have a lot of things that you feel like you're working against that are.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah. And you. Are you still working your way through those things? What are they?

[C]

So I have a bunch of, like, scars all over my stomach and my legs, so I can't really go out and, like, wear, like, a swimsuit because everyone's gonna be like, what's on your stomach?

[B]

You're worried about that right now and it makes you feel self conscious?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah. I bet you that gets better as you get older. I hope it does for you. I watched it with my daughter. Like, she's like, do you hide your devices?

[C]

Sometimes?

[B]

What insulin pump do you wear?

[C]

I'm currently on injections.

[B]

You're doing injections right now? Are you getting a pump?

[C]

Eventually. I'm gonna try the Moby here.

[B]

Oh, okay. So you're gonna do a. What are they calling it?

[C]

A try on or a trial or something like that.

[B]

So you're going to check out the Moby here. You're thinking about trying that?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. And do you think that would make a change for you?

[C]

I hope so.

[B]

Yeah. What is it about injections that, I mean, you've been injecting for how long? Cause it sounds like you've worn pumps in the past.

[C]

I have. So I did injections for about two years when I was first diagnosed, and then I started an omnipod. And then a few years after that, I started A tandem. Like, I was on the T. Slim, and I did that for, like, two or three years.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So then now I'm on injections.

[B]

What makes you switch?

[C]

It's just, like, sometimes I just need, like, the reset, so.

[B]

So I can, like, feel like you need a break.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So you just go back to injections for a while. How long have you been doing them now?

[C]

Two or three months.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

What pump was prior to that?

[C]

T. Slim.

[B]

T. Slim. And you're thinking about going back to and using the MOBI now?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Is that a decision you're making or something your family decided together?

[C]

I decide when I want to go back on the pump, but I talk with my parents about which one I want to go back on.

[B]

Okay. And Moby's the one you're thinking about. Tell me the difference between wearing a pump and injecting. Like, what do you gain by having a pump on?

[C]

It's just, like, easier sometimes. How so? Instead of, like, having to go to, like, the nurse's office at school to do the injection. Because most teachers won't let you do that in class. Okay, but if I'm in class with, like, an insulin pump, I can just press a few buttons and no one would know.

[B]

Yeah. Okay. So keeping that kind of anonymity that you want. Like, you want to be a little private.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

The pump helps you stay private.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

All right. And because you don't mind the injections, it doesn't sound like. Right, so it's more about, can I keep this hidden? Oh, is that why you're interested in the MOBY now? Because it's more.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Concealable? Yeah. That's why it's attractive to you. Okay, tell me how. I guess when you make that decision to go back and use the pump again, what. What do you think? What do you think's gonna happen? Like, do you know what I mean? Like, do you have in your mind, like, I'm gonna get a pump and then this is going to change sometimes?

[C]

Like, when? Sometimes at the. Like, the end of when I decide to go off the pump, my blood sugars are a little higher. So then I go on the injections, and then when the injections are, like, keeping my blood sugar a little higher, that's when I go back on the pump. So I'm hoping that it'll keep them lower, you see?

[B]

More stable. A1Cs when you're pumping. Yeah. Do you like the control IQ?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah. How come? What does it do for you?

[C]

I. It's easier to, like, understand from, like, Other insulin pumps. It's. I, I like how sometimes I don't have to put in carbs and stuff or not carbs, like a correction because it like, it's already like correcting for you. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

So if you maybe miss on a meal and you start rising up, you have that comfort that it's going to jump in and do it for you. Yes, that is relieving or. Yes, it makes your day easier. Yeah, yeah. How much of the day do you think you think about diabetes? Like normally? And how much less do you think about it when you're pumping with control IQ?

[C]

I feel like it's like 5050 right now. So like sometimes I'm thinking about it and other times I'm not.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But with the control iq, it's way less awesome.

[B]

Okay. Do you have any heroes, people who have type one or you look up to or you follow in their careers or anything?

[C]

My dad.

[B]

Oh, no. Your dad has type one? Do you know when he was diagnosed?

[C]

He was diagnosed last year.

[B]

No kidding. So you've had type one for what did we say, 13 years?

[C]

12.

[B]

12 years. Sorry. And your dad was just diagnosed. How old is he?

[C]

He's 43.

[B]

Is there any other type one in your family? Like aunts, uncles, cousins?

[C]

My brother.

[B]

Your brother? How old's your brother?

[C]

He, he's 14.

[B]

How, when was he diagnosed?

[C]

Also last year.

[A]

Wow.

[C]

Yeah. So it went me, then my brother and then my dad.

[B]

What makes it. No, that's the wrong question. I guess my question should be is how does it feel to not be alone in your family anymore? I've interviewed other people. I'm super interested to hear what you say. But was it nice that they got type one? I know that's such a weird way.

[C]

Of saying it kinda because I'm not the only one who's like doing this stuff.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So they're kind of there with me.

[B]

You feel less alone.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you know I interviewed a person one time and everybody in the family had diabetes except for this one kid. Like the one you know, I think it was like the youngest boy, if I'm remembering correctly. And I enter, I interviewed him and he told me. Do you know what he told me?

[C]

No.

[B]

He wished he had type 1 diabetes so he could be like the rest of his family. And he was real sincere about it too. So I just kind of reverse engineering that. Figured when they got diagnosed, you probably felt less alone.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you think your mom feels like on the outside now or do you have other brothers and sisters?

[C]

I have One other sister.

[B]

Oh. Is she like, oh, I hope I don't get diabetes?

[C]

Yeah, She's. She did the trial and that stuff a couple years ago, so that's how I found out my brother had it.

[B]

Oh.

[C]

So she's doing it again this year just to make sure.

[B]

Do you have other autoimmune issues?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Hypothyroidism? Yeah. Do other people in your family have it, too?

[C]

No, I don't think so.

[B]

Celiac?

[C]

My aunt has celiacs. Both of them.

[B]

Do people and people have eczema in your family?

[C]

I don't think so.

[B]

No. It's just different. That's not actually autoimmune, but it's a thing I see when I talk to people. Anxiety?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. A lot of people have anxiety. Yeah. That's the other connector. I see a lot when I'm talking to people. Are you anxious?

[C]

No.

[B]

No. But other people in your family are? Yeah. Okay. So your hero is your dad?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

How come, though? What makes him your hero?

[C]

Because he's always standing up for me. And when, like, insurance wouldn't cover something, he was, like, on the phone with them 24 7, trying to get them to, like, approve the stuff.

[B]

Right. That's great. Yeah. So he's got your back, and that feels. What, like. What is it? What does that give you when you.

[C]

Know it's, like, relieving? Because sometimes I don't want to do it, but he said he'll always be there and do it for me.

[B]

Yeah, no, I see that, too, with my daughter. I think it's really valuable. Let me see what else I got here for you. So you had type 1 diabetes for a long time before your dad was diagnosed, and then your brother.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you think they knew how to take care of themselves already from helping you? Was it different for your dad? Was your brother, like. You know what I mean? Like, did he go, oh, I've seen this before? Do you think that made them more comfortable having watched you grow up with it?

[C]

I feel like my dad, he knew how to do it pretty good because he was taking care of me for so long. But there are some things that I had to teach my brother.

[B]

Okay, like what?

[C]

He had, like. He has some trouble sometimes about, like, putting his, like, Dexcom into his insulin pump, so I have to remind him how to do that.

[B]

What pump is he using?

[C]

He's on Omnipod 5.

[B]

Okay. And he uses Dexcom?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

G7. What about you?

[C]

I'm on G7.

[B]

G7, too. Do you like it?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Awesome. Good. That's cool. You count your own carbs, take care of your own meals?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah. Does your brother.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah. Who taught him that, do you think?

[C]

I think just from watching me and my parents do it, I think he, like, knew how to already.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But there are some things where I'm like. He's like, I don't know about how much this is Right. Because, like, sometimes we go out and he doesn't know.

[B]

Okay. And your dad, is your mom. Like, would you call your mom your primary diabetes caregiver or is it your dad?

[C]

It's both.

[B]

Yeah. So it's been split pretty the whole time. So they both knew how to handle things.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

What's your A1C right now?

[A]

Do you know?

[C]

Eight point something.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And does it change when you're on a pump?

[C]

Yes, it goes down sometimes.

[B]

You think because of the correcting? Yeah. Okay. I had a question. I just lost it. So I know that it was like. I know that you said that it was kind of nice when other people had type one, but initially, when your dad and your brother were diagnosed, what was your reaction?

[C]

I kind of didn't want them to have it because it's like a little bit extra steps.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, we can still do everything else that everyone else can, but it's just extra steps, and I didn't want them to have to do that.

[B]

Yeah. So it wasn't like a sadness about the diabetes, it was about the work.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Oh, that's interesting. Okay. And when you're deciding between different pumps, what made you think about the movie?

[C]

I just wanted to try something else, so because I was on Omnipod for so long, it was just like something new, so I thought it would work better.

[B]

Okay. All right, well, you're gonna try it on today. I hope you love it. Yep.

[C]

Thank you.

[B]

Excellent. It was really great talking to you.

[C]

You too.

[A]

Thank you. The podcast you just enjoyed was sponsored by Tandem Diabetes Care. Learn more about Tandem's newest automated insulin delivery system, Tandem Moby with Control IQ [e-mail] Juicebox There are links in the show notes and [e-mail] if you'd like to hear about diabetes management in easy to take in bits, check out the Small Sips. That's the series on the Juice Box podcast that listeners are talking about like it's a cheat code. These are perfect little bursts of clarity. One person said, I finally understood things I've heard a hundred times. Short, simple, and somehow exactly what I needed. People say small sips feels like someone pulling up a chair, sliding a cup across the table and giving you one clean idea at a time. Nothing overwhelming. No fire hose of information. Just steady, helpful nudges that actually stick. People listen in their car, on walks, or while they're actually bolusing anytime that they need a quick shot of perspective. And the reviews, they all say the same thing. Small sips makes diabetes make sense. Search for the Juicebox podcast Small Sips wherever you get audio.