#1773 Tandem Kids: Eli

Summary

Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1773 Tandem Kids: Eli

Air Date: February 15, 2026
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Eli (age 8)

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Episode Overview

This episode features Scott Benner interviewing Eli, an 8-year-old living with type 1 diabetes, at the 2025 Friends for Life conference. Eli shares his diagnosis story, day-to-day management strategies, his preference for the Tandem Mobi insulin pump, and how connecting with other kids who have diabetes creates a sense of community and support. The conversation is candid, insightful, and offers a real-world look at diabetes from a child’s perspective.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Eli's Diagnosis Journey

• Early Symptoms and Diagnosis

  • Eli started experiencing frequent urination at night, prompting his mom to take him to the doctor. At the doctor's office, his blood sugar was “high” and at the hospital, it read 750 mg/dL ([01:41–01:56]).
  • He recalls feeling "nervous because I didn’t know what was going on." ([01:31])

• Initial Treatment

  • Eli had a Dexcom (CGM) placed immediately and started insulin shots using pens when he got home. He reports shots “didn’t hurt, but I don’t want to do it repeatedly.” ([02:20–03:12])

2. Using the Tandem Mobi Pump

• Transitioning to the Pump

  • Currently, Eli uses the Tandem Mobi on his arm and prefers it over injections for its automation and convenience ([02:47–03:09]).
  • “When I was high, instead of always giving me a shot, like, it’ll adjust it for me, which I like a lot.” – Eli ([03:01])
  • The automation is a big perk: “It just dosed for me. Even though I would know I was high, probably. Okay, then instead of having to dose, like, every minute or 10 minutes instead, it'll just do it for me.” ([04:08–04:23])

• Pump Placement Preferences

  • Eli usually wears the pump on his arm, sometimes tries the leg, and once tried the "butt" but didn't like it due to tubing ([08:15–08:55]).
  • He values the option to switch between short and long tubing depending on where he wears the pump ([09:09–09:22], [11:27–11:31]).

• Learning and Mastering Pump Care

  • Eli is now able to change his own sites with occasional supervision from his mother, describing the process in detail ([09:56–10:36]).

3. Support Systems and Community

• Family and Friends

  • Eli’s main support is his mom: “Yeah, I do not trust my dad putting on… mostly because my mom has done most of it.” ([10:41–10:52])
  • There's a family history of type 1 diabetes—his uncle and grandfather also have T1D ([12:01–12:18]).

• Friendship and Peer Support

  • Having other friends with type 1 makes Eli feel less alone:
    • “I don’t like being the only one. I know being diabetic.” ([05:35])
    • He enjoys discussing blood sugars and sharing low snacks (usually Starburst) with friends ([06:02–06:12]).
  • He recommends kids try to find peer connections for support and shared understanding.

• Diabetes Community Conferences

  • Eli is attending his first Friends for Life conference and appreciates being “in the diabetic community.” He enjoys meeting others who understand what he’s experiencing:
    • “I like being in the diabetic community… Because it’s nice knowing people that you know what they’re going through and they know what you’re going through.” ([16:30–16:44])

4. Life as a Kid with Diabetes

• Diabetes at School

  • Eli manages his diabetes at school by visiting the nurse's office, sometimes texting his mom if needed ([13:49–14:06]).
  • At lunch, he sometimes splits his insulin: “In school we did half before, half after… because you didn’t want to get low during lunch.” ([13:31–13:43])

• Active Lifestyle & Sports

  • Eli plays baseball (“third base—definitely”) and keeps his pump on during games ([06:58–07:12], [08:15]).
  • He reports rarely going low during sports and usually runs high when playing ([07:57–08:00]).
  • His approach is to have fun, not just focus on winning ([08:04–08:05]).

5. Insights on Diabetes Management

• Favorite Features of the Mobi Pump

  • Ability to adjust between long and short tubing, and to wear pump in different places ([11:27–11:47]).
  • Simplicity of bolusing from his phone’s dashboard ([15:44–16:11]):
    • “There’s a dashboard, and on the bottom you can hit bolus… then enter your carbs… You just push a button. It’s done.” ([15:44–16:05])

• Handling Highs, Lows, and Pre-Bolusing

  • Eli says correcting highs turned out to be less difficult than he expected ([12:55]).
  • He aims for his blood sugar to stay below 200 mg/dL after eating ([13:08]).
  • For corrections and meals, he often pre-boluses or splits doses and waits for insulin to kick in ([13:26–13:39]).

• Advice for Other Kids

  • “If you don’t like the shots, I’d actually recommend like a pump or a Moby or something like that… Makes everything easier.” ([12:30–12:45])
  • Focus on what works for you and don’t be afraid to try new technology.

6. Memorable & Light-Hearted Moments

• Eli’s “Starburst hack”: Instead of trying half-and-half flavors, he just puts two in his mouth at once ([06:34–06:39]).
• When asked about dad helping with diabetes care:
  • “My dad is mostly just watching baseball.” ([10:53–10:57])
• On growing up: “Yeah. I’m almost taller than my mom.” ([07:29–07:31])

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “I was nervous because I didn’t know what was going on.” – Eli ([01:31])
• “When I was high, instead of always giving me a shot, like, it’ll adjust it for me, which I like a lot.” – Eli ([03:01])
• “I don’t like being the only one. I know being diabetic.” – Eli ([05:35])
• “If you don’t like the shots, I’d actually recommend like a pump or a Moby or something like that… Makes everything easier.” – Eli ([12:30–12:45])
• “I like being in the diabetic community… Because it’s nice knowing people that you know what they’re going through and they know what you’re going through.” – Eli ([16:30–16:44])
• “My dad is mostly just watching baseball.” – Eli ([10:53–10:57])
• “There’s a dashboard, and on the bottom you can hit bolus… You just push a button. It’s done.” – Eli ([15:44–16:05])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction, Diagnosis Story: [01:06–02:20]
• Transition to Pump Therapy and First Impressions: [02:43–04:23]
• Comparing Pumps and Peer Influence: [04:23–05:06]
• Finding Community & Friendship: [05:06–06:34]
• Low Blood Sugar Snacks & Starburst Talk: [06:07–06:39]
• Sports and Diabetes Management: [06:55–08:24]
• Pump Placement Preferences, Tubing: [08:47–09:22], [11:27–11:47]
• Learning Self-Care Skills (changing sites): [09:55–10:36]
• Diabetes at Home, Family, and School: [10:41–14:06]
• Favorite Tech Features, Pump Use How-To: [15:44–16:11]
• Reflections on the Conference & Community: [16:15–17:00]

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Conclusion

This episode is an insightful window into a child's real-world experience managing type 1 diabetes. Eli’s open, honest perspective highlights the value of supportive technology like the Tandem Mobi, the importance of community—both peer and family—and the small, everyday victories that build confidence. His advice for other young people considering pumps, his willingness to learn new skills, and his ability to find camaraderie and fun, even at a diabetes conference, all serve to encourage listeners to be “bold with insulin” and seek out the support, tools, and strategies that work best for them.

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]

You ready to go? Okay. How are you? Good. Good. What's your name?

[C]

Eli.

[B]

Eli. How old are you?

[C]

Eight.

[B]

Eight. How long have you had type 1 diabetes?

[C]

I'd say at least one and a half years.

[B]

Okay. Do you remember being diagnosed?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

What do you remember about it?

[C]

I was nervous because I didn't know what was going on.

[B]

Did it happen in the hospital or at a doctor's office?

[C]

So the night I kept using the restroom, so my mom took me into the doctors, he was going on it read high, got to the hospital. I was 750.

[B]

That was your blood sugar?

[C]

I think so. Wow.

[B]

Did they say you were in dka? You ever hear anybody say that? I don't know. You don't know? So you had 750 blood sugar. You're at the hospital. Then what happened? They.

[C]

I don't remember. All I remember is, like, Ben hooking me up to, like, water and.

[B]

Yeah. When you left the hospital, how did you take care of your diabetes?

[C]

Well, they already put a dex on me, so that was really helpful. But there was shot. I went and got home. I think I had a shot because I think I wanted to eat something. I don't quite remember right, but.

[B]

So you were using pens or needles?

[C]

Do you remember the injector pens?

[A]

The pens?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you still use those now?

[C]

No.

[B]

What do you do now?

[C]

Have a Tandem on my arm.

[B]

Yeah. Which one is it? It's the Moby.

[C]

Yeah. The Tandem.

[B]

Yeah. You don't have to show it to me. I believe you. Do you like it?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. What does it do for you that the shots didn't do? How does it change things?

[C]

When I was high, instead of always giving me a shot, like, it'll adjust it for me, which. I like that a lot.

[B]

Yeah. You prefer not having to give yourself injections.

[C]

Yeah. Instead of. Because I don't like getting injected. I. I mean, it's fine. It doesn't hurt, but I don't want to do it repeatedly.

[B]

Yeah. And is this. Would you. Do you find this to be just easier?

[C]

Definitely, yeah.

[B]

Using a pump is easier.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. And also you mentioned when your blood sugar tries to go up, the Mobi tries to stop it.

[C]

Yeah. It'll like those. Let's say I was like 200 or 230. It would do like, let's say 0.5 units and try to get me down.

[B]

Yeah. Do you find that helpful?

[C]

Definitely.

[A]

How come, though?

[B]

Is it because you don't have to think about it as much or how does it help you?

[C]

Pretty much. Because, like, if I was, like, playing a game or a card game, instead of having to repeatedly check my blood sugar.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

It just dosed for me. Even though I would know I was high, probably. Okay, then instead of having to dose, like, every minute.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Or 10 minutes instead, it'll just do it for me.

[B]

Right. Have you used another. Any other pumps?

[C]

I used the Omnipod because I tried the Moby. And of course, the next day Omnipod came on phone.

[B]

Oh, okay. So you tried. You tried Omnipod, but you ended up going back to Moby?

[C]

I. No, I originally had the Omnipod. My friend apparently likes to try new pods. I feel like, okay. Then when the Tana Moby release, I asked him, like, do you like it? Does it hurt? He said, no. He said he liked it, so I wanted to try.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

I tried it and I like it.

[B]

Awesome. So you tried Moby because your friend was using it?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That's awesome. Spending all this time trying to reach people on Instagram. You get friends to go tell each other about the movie. That's awesome. So you found a friend who also has type 1 diabetes. Is. Did that person have diabetes before you or after?

[C]

Yeah, before. Definitely before me.

[B]

So you were friends with this kid, he had diabetes, and then you got diagnosed?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Did that help finding friends that have type one? Did it make you feel better?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

How does it make you feel better?

[C]

I'd say because I don't like being the only one. I know being diabetic.

[B]

Yeah. And so having a friend just makes you feel like you're part of a group?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. Do you think it helped him when you were diagnosed? Yeah. You guys ever talk about it, being diagnosed or having diabetes? Do you ever talk about having diabetes with your friend? Sometimes, yeah. What kind of Stuff do you talk about if it's not too private?

[C]

Just like blood sugars.

[B]

Yeah. Do you guys share low snacks ever?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

What's your favorite?

[C]

I eat a lot at Starburst.

[B]

Starburst.

[C]

Because in the school year they had. We just. I basically only had Starburst.

[B]

Yeah. Can I give you a rock solid Starburst idea? Take two different colors, put them together, then take a bite out of half of it. So you get half yellow and half red, for example. Then you get two Starbursts that all taste different. Have you done this?

[C]

Kinda. I just got two stars and put them both in my mouth.

[B]

Oh, you go the whole thing right away.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. I can't do that. Yeah, you can knock it down, no problem. How many Starbursts does it take to fix your low blood sugar?

[C]

Usually it depends. Like, if I. If I was 70, it probably be like one. If I was like, let's say 50, probably two.

[B]

Okay. Do you play any sports?

[C]

Yeah, I play baseball.

[B]

Baseball? Where do you play? On the field.

[C]

They usually just like, mix it up.

[B]

Oh, okay. So you guys have been trying a whole bunch of different positions.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you prefer one position over the other? You look like a second baseman, actually.

[C]

Third base.

[B]

Third. Nice. You got quick reflexes. Ball comes at you fast. Yeah, yeah. Can you make that throw all the way across the diamond?

[C]

Definitely.

[B]

That's awesome, man. That's great. How do you hit?

[C]

Or at least half of it.

[B]

You can make it. Yeah, yeah. You get as you get. How old are you again? Eight. Eight. You're going to get bigger and bigger. It's going to get easier and easier.

[C]

Yeah. I'm almost tired of my mom.

[B]

Yeah, well, your mom's pretty short, but, yeah, I get what you're saying. You fast?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah. Awesome. You enjoy baseball?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Awesome. When you're playing, how do you manage your diabetes? Is there anything special you have to do?

[C]

If I was low, I'd have to quickly take a deuce or Starburst or something.

[B]

Right. Does that happen often?

[C]

Surprisingly, no. Because actually I'm surprisingly high.

[B]

You're high when you're playing. Are you very competitive? Do you want to win?

[C]

No, I just like having fun.

[B]

Just like having fun. You're having a good time. You're excited while you're there. Yeah. And the pump is right. The Moby's trying to keep your blood sugar down, so it's working for you while you're playing. You keep it on while you're playing?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. Where do you like to wear it while you're playing.

[C]

Probably on my. I'd say my arm.

[B]

Yeah, but your non throwing arm.

[C]

I don't. I just want one arm. Honestly.

[B]

Which are you, right handed or left handed? Like when you throw right, you wear your Moby on the left, right?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah, gotcha. That's what my daughter did. Cuz she said when she was playing softball and she was throwing, she didn't like anything being on her arm while she was throwing. Where else are you allowed to wear a Moby? Arms.

[C]

Does it have other places, arms and legs?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I tried my butt like once. I didn't really like it.

[B]

Honestly.

[C]

It's just because I don't like the long tubing. I don't want. No. Like it's stuck on there like.

[B]

So do you like the Moby because it has a short piece of tubing?

[C]

No.

[B]

Well, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

I like how you can swap between two of them. Because when it was on my leg I. I used the long tubing because I felt like it was easier.

[B]

Okay. And on your arm you have the shorter piece.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And you're using the. That on body. Like it stuck right on you with the sticker. Right?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. That's awesome. You like that?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Makes it all easier.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That's very cool. Okay, I'm gonna ask you a couple more questions. Is there anything that has happened to you in the last year about your diabetes that you've done? It's made you feel proud, Something you've accomplished or something you've done that you didn't expect that you could. And if you can't think of anything, it's okay.

[C]

Oh yeah.

[B]

Nothing. Oh, you got something. Give it to me. Give it to me.

[C]

I learned how to like change my sights kinda.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So you're putting your own sights on.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. Is that with. How does it work? Tell me how to do it.

[C]

There's like vexcon. You have to. It's like a circle and like you have to prime it. Yeah, kinda.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And you push down, there's a white. But like a white button, click it and it inserts it.

[B]

Do you do that by yourself?

[C]

Sometimes, yeah, my mom supervises me.

[B]

Yeah, she helps make sure you're doing it right.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You feel confident when you're doing it?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That's awesome. Who helps you with your diabetes? Mostly your mom.

[C]

Yeah, I do not trust my dad putting on.

[B]

Can you tell me why?

[C]

Mostly because like my mom has done most of it. Dad.

[B]

Okay. Oh, so she's got more experience.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I got you.

[C]

My dad Is mostly just watching baseball. When.

[B]

Where are you from?

[C]

Somerville, South Carolina.

[B]

South Carolina. What baseball team does he like?

[C]

Detroit, because my dad was. I think he was born in Detroit, so we like Detroit Lions, Detroit baseball.

[B]

And he's just watching the Tigers play. Yeah. How about you? Do you like the Tigers or do you have another team?

[C]

Tigers.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

It's not a bad baseball team at all to like. What do you think you like best about the movie?

[C]

How you can change tubing? Definitely.

[B]

You like having shorter or longer tubing?

[C]

Yeah. Because say it was like on somewhere where it feel weird putting the sticker. It's easy to just have the long tubing and connect it like on your shirt or belt or something.

[B]

I got you. Do you have a hero that has diabetes or somebody look up to or somebody. You follow.

[C]

My. I follow my friends. My uncle.

[B]

Yeah. Your uncle has diabetes? He has type one.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you know any other. Are you related to any other people that have Type one? Yeah. Who else?

[C]

So I probably. My mom knew I was probably going to have type one because her. My uncle, which is her brother, has it and her dad has it, too.

[B]

Your uncle and her father. Two people or one person?

[C]

Two.

[B]

Two people. Okay. Do you have any advice for other kids who have type 1 diabetes? Anything that you found very helpful that you think would help them as well?

[C]

I actually, I'd recommend. I don't know if you. If you don't like the shots. I'd actually recommend like a pump or a Moby or something like that.

[B]

Yeah. Just because it makes everything easier. Yeah, yeah, I got you. I understand.

[C]

And you have to take less shots.

[B]

Yeah. Has there been anything with diabetes that you thought would be difficult that didn't end up being that hard?

[C]

Correcting highs? Definitely.

[B]

Yeah. You're getting pretty good at taking care of your blood sugar. What number do you like for your blood sugar not to go over after you eat? What's your goal?

[C]

I'd say at least over 100.

[B]

You want to.

[C]

I mean over 200.

[B]

200. You don't want to go over 200. That's your goal? That's a pretty good goal. You. Are you successful at that most times?

[C]

Most times, yeah.

[B]

That's awesome. What do you think that the key is to not having your blood sugar spike after meals? Is it pre bolusing? Is it counting carbs? Well, what do you think?

[C]

Sometimes I'll, like, wait a little for my insulin to kick in.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And then in school we did half before, half after.

[B]

Okay. In case. Because you didn't Want to get low during lunch? They were trying to be careful.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. Do they still do that?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So how do you manage at school? You go to the nurse's office or the office?

[C]

Nurse's office.

[B]

Okay. Have you ever texted with your mom while you're at school about diabetes?

[C]

Sometimes if I, like, really, really have to, yeah.

[B]

Do you think maybe one day you and your mom could just do it through text and you wouldn't even have to go to the nurse? That might be nice, right? Maybe.

[C]

I don't know.

[B]

Is it like a whole vibe in the nurse's office? Are there a bunch of people there before lunch getting insulin and stuff? Is it fun?

[C]

It's nice, but I'm the only diabetic kid in school.

[B]

Okay. You prefer to just go to lunch, right?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. Maybe you'll work it out with your mom one day and won't have to talk to the nurse anymore. When you first got the tandem Moby, was it difficult to learn how to use?

[C]

The only reasons I'm saying no is because we got it from Hannah. I think she, like, helps me with my diabetic diabetes.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Because I think it's like some annual check in.

[B]

So you had somebody that showed you how to use the pump? Yeah. And today you don't have any trouble using it at all?

[C]

No.

[B]

No. So just with some good instruction, you were able to figure it out easily. That's awesome. Who is Hannah? Is she like a doctor or.

[C]

She's like. She's a doctor. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. So you just met with her one time?

[C]

No, we. We met. We met at least like five, maybe times now.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Maybe more than that. I'm not that sure.

[B]

How many times was. Of those five times was her telling you how to use the pump?

[C]

Two.

[B]

Only two. And you got it?

[C]

Yeah. Because first it was the Omnibod, then second was a tummy.

[B]

Okay. And so. Oh, I see. So after one visit, being told about how to use Moby, you understood how to use it.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And you run it off of your phone?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. You just like. If I asked you to tell me to explain to me how to bolus for lunch, how would you do it? Don't even look at your phone. Just tell me out loud. What do you do?

[C]

So there's a dashboard, and on the bottom you can hit bolus.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

Then you enter on the top it's insulin. Then on the bottom too, it's like, how much it is. Then there's enter the. Like, enter your cards that you're dosing.

[B]

You Just push a button. It's done.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

How long does it take? Like a couple seconds or a couple of seconds?

[C]

Honest.

[B]

Not long at all.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

It's awesome, man. So is this your first time at Friends for Life?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. What have you enjoyed so far about being here?

[C]

I like that there's a bunch of diabetics.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That I get. I can get to know.

[B]

What do you like about that? What? What makes you feel good about them all being here together?

[C]

I like being in the diabetic community.

[B]

Yeah? Tell me why.

[C]

I'd probably say because it's nice knowing people that you know what they're going through and they know what you're going through.

[B]

Yeah. It just makes you feel better.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. Makes you feel safe.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That's awesome. You think you'll come back here again and do this again?

[C]

Definitely.

[B]

Yeah. It sounds like you're having a really good time.

[C]

I am.

[B]

That's awesome. Have you made a lot of friends?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

No kidding. Like, people you think you'll keep in touch with after you leave?

[C]

Probably. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. That's awesome. That's cool. Do you have any questions for me?

[C]

No.

[B]

No. That's fair enough. All right. I really appreciate you doing this with me. This was awesome. You were great at this. Thank you so much. I hope you continue to have a great time while you're here. Seriously.

[A]

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 Juice Box podcast, Small Sips. Wherever you get audio.