For many people, moving from adolescence to young adulthood comes with its share of challenges. For the thousands of young people in Canada who are living with type 1 diabetes, reaching these milestones also means aging out of the pediatric care environment they have grown up in and being thrust into an unfamiliar– sometimes unforgiving – adult health care system.

Researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital, are using a research methodology known as photo-elicitation to reveal how young adults experience type 1 diabetes in their daily lives. And now the resulting images – along with quotes from each photographer–  are about to be unveiled as a photo exhibit co-led by young adults living with type 1 diabetes and researchers at St. Michael’s.

The exhibit, titled Within the Highs and Lows: Young and Type 1, includes more than 30 photographs captured by 22 young adults from across Canada living with type 1 diabetes. It will be open to the public at Arta Gallery in the Distillery District from May 29–31.

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Young adulthood is a transformative time and often involves unlocking many of life’s firsts: moving away from home, attending college or university, entering into new friendships and romantic relationships. Many of these signposts on the road to adulthood can be challenging for young people especially for those who are also managing type 1 diabetes.

“Many young people, as they are coming of age, confront challenges and make mistakes along the way,” said Dr. Cheryl Pritlove, who is a Research Scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital, the study’s Principal Investigator, and curator of the exhibit.

“For young people living with type 1 diabetes, these same coming-of-age experiences unfold alongside a complex chronic condition that leaves far less margin for error. They are also often navigating stigma, misunderstanding, and the feeling of being marked as different at a stage of life when fitting in can feel especially important. Much of this is carried quietly and invisibly, which can be profoundly isolating. One of our motivations for using photography in this work was to make those realities visible in a way that reaches beyond words alone.”

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas does not produce the insulin needed to regulate blood sugar levels. Managing the disease requires treatment with insulin and regular glucose monitoring every day. Without proper management, there is a daily risk of medical emergency and long-term risk of serious complications, including stroke, blindness, and amputation. The ongoing demands of managing diabetes can often contribute to mental health challenges such as stress, anxiety and depression.

As part of their study, the research team recruited young people between the ages of 18-24 – later expanding the age range to 18-29 – who had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Following focus groups where young adults reflected on and discussed their experiences with type 1 diabetes, they were each asked to take photos over a two-week period that reflected their reality of a “day in the life” with this condition. These images then became the foundation for in-depth one-on-one interviews.

According to Dr. Andrew Advani, head of endocrinology at St. Michael’s and the study’s co-lead, the goal of the study was to understand how young adults experience type 1 diabetes, as well as how gender and identity shape their experience.

“The materials collectively aim to amplify participant voices and inform the public and healthcare providers through narrative and visual evidence rather than clinical abstraction,” said Dr. Advani.

“This is an exhibit of those photographs and the themes that were developed from the commonalities of those experiences.”

The resulting collection of photos are intimate, often raw and sometimes delightfully irreverent. They reveal an unrelenting and often invisible burden that young people face living with type 1 diabetes. But at the same time, the images capture feelings of strength, determination, and undeniable resilience.

Within the Highs and Lows: Young and Type 1 – a photographic exhibit that invites viewers into the lived experiences of young adults navigating life with type 1 diabetes will be open to the public from May 29-31 at Arta Gallery, 14 Distillery Lane, Distillery District, Toronto, ON.

The exhibit and underlying research were made possible through private donor support, a gift from Cadillac Fairview and the Robin Deverteuil Foundation in support of youth empowerment and type 1 diabetes, along with a federal grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). 

Story by Kevin Van Paassen

Photos courtesy of Within the Highs and Lows: Young and Type 1

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