“Stay confident through it all, because everyone is gonna ask you 10 billion questions like ‘are you gonna die?’… Don’t take it personally. Laugh at their face, do it for me,” says Adya Satapathy, a teenager who’s been battling Type 1 diabetes since birth.
When Adya was born 15 years ago, her blood sugar level, according to the records, was a whopping 600 or so (anything above 180 is considered dangerous).
While talking with Adya for this special episode of Outliers — it’s the 25th — I was amazed to learn how she manages her life using everything from sensors to apps. These are essential to her well-being, even to keep her alive. I also used the opportunity to get inside the mind of an Indian teenaged girl and tried to understand what social media means to this generation.
She also talks about her dream IoT device that she wants to be able to manage her life even better.
Having fought a lifelong battle with the disease, Satapathy is leading a Change.org petition asking the Indian Prime Minister to include Type 1 diabetes among the list of disabilities. Do find time to support the petition.
Finally, thank you for listening in to the Outliers podcast series. Keep tuning in.