AUSTIN (KXAN) — Back to school is a fraught time for many parents and their students. But for kids with type one diabetes (T1D), a new school year brings new challenges.
Emily Bakunas, a community engagement volunteer and former board member at nonprofit organization Breakthrough T1D, spoke with KXAN Tuesday about what parents should know. Breakthrough T1D was formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or JDRF, until 2024.
“We spent a lot of time, and still do, meeting with the school nurse and the administrators and the teachers and making sure that they all have the information that they need to keep these kids safe during the day,” she said. “When you eat, you have to dose insulin if you have type one diabetes, and so making sure that there’s constant communication with the school about who’s going to be doing that, and especially when it’s a smaller child.”
Bakunas’ son, Mason, also spoke with KXAN. He has T1D and is entering his second year of high school. He received his diagnosis ahead of kindergarten.