TV and film star James Norton today reveals the impact of type 1 diabetes on his life – and shows solidarity with others on World Diabetes Day who are refusing to let the condition hold them back from success.
Norton, the star of award-winning television dramas including Grantchester, War and Peace and Happy Valley is supporting JDRF’s #T1DLooksLikeMe campaign for World Diabetes Day. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in November 2010.
Speaking for the first time as an ambassador for JDRF, Norton said today:
“I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2010 when I was near the start of my acting career. Managing the condition is a challenge, but I haven’t let it get in my way!
“I’m proud to support JDRF and its #T1DLooksLikeMe campaign.”
James has joined a number of other celebrities pledging their support to the campaign which is raising awareness and challenging misconceptions.
See more about James Norton’s DiaDigits here.
James is joined in supporting the campaign by Rotherham United defender Richard Wood, whose eight year old son lives with the condition. The football star revealed his son Jenson has had almost 10,000 blood glucose tests, spent over 900 hours recovering from a hypo and needed to have an injection of insulin approximately 12,000 times during his 1,700 days living with type 1 diabetes so far. A child diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of five faces up to 19,000 insulin injections and 50,000 finger prick blood tests by the time they are 18.
Sky News presenter Stephen Dixon also shared his DiaDigits. Stephen was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1992 and is a very popular figure in the type 1 diabetes community. He shared that he has needed nearly 70,000 blood glucose tests and 63,000 insulin injections since diagnosis.