Add model Bambi Northwood-Blyth to the list of women we've met who doesn't let diabetes define who she is. The Melbourne native was diagnosed with T1D as a child and, yet, it hasn't stopped her from climbing the ranks of the fashion world, dominating runways and magazine covers, including Vogue, Marie Claire, W and i-D. "It is really a full-time job, on top of a full-time job, which takes a lot of organization and determination to manage," she says.

Still, Northwood-Blyth adds, there's a silver lining for those with the condition: "Every injection, every hypo [hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar levels] corrected, is a decision to live, so I feel like we really try to make the most out of life."

How and when did you discover you had T1D?

I was 11 years old, and my diagnosis was totally out of the blue. There was no family history, no known cause. I fell sick very quickly over the space of a week. I lost a lot of weight, and was extremely thirsty and not my normal energetic self. My mom took me to the emergency room and, within a few minutes, they had diagnosed me with T1D. I was in diabetic ketoacidosis and my blood-sugar level was very high.

How do you handle the daily challenges of T1D with your job as a full-time model?

The multiple daily injections of insulin—while monitoring blood-sugar levels and balancing exercise (output) and food (input)—is a balancing act. You have good weeks and bad weeks. However, there is great technology now, like the Dexcom CGM, which continuously sends my blood-sugar levels direct to my phone. A great support team of friends, family and work is important, too.

What has been the hardest part?

When I left the hospital, at age 11, with my parents carrying a bag of syringes. From then on, it was a new normal—everything needed to be planned and structured around injections. You end up losing a bit of spontaneity, especially as a kid.

Words of wisdom for others going through this?

Ask for help and find the T1D community. There are amazing support networks and resources out there—Breakthrough T1D, Beyond Type 1, Risely Health, Connected in Motion and the Dexcom Warrior Program.

And don’t give up. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and some days your blood sugar will just be bad, but the sun will still rise and it will level out. Turning your back on it will only make it harder.

What's the most important thing you want people to know about having T1D?

You do not get T1D from "eating too much sugar." We don't fully understand the causes of T1D, and there is no cure yet.

What's one positive takeaway from this not-so-positive experience?

The community, and the resilience we all have to make it through every day.

From now to the end of September, VB Gives Back commits to raising $250,000 for Breakthrough T1D through consumer donations, in-store give-back events, and $5 from every online order to elevate awareness and support for Type 1 diabetes research, advocacy and community engagement. Learn more here.

If you want to learn more about T1D and Breakthrough T1D’s mission you can visit their website at BreakthroughT1D.org.