BOSTON, MA (March 5, 2025) – Joslin Diabetes Center and the Lillylulu Foundation have announced a multiyear collaboration to establish the new Young Adult T1D Initiative Fund with a generous gift of $250,000 from Lillylulu.

The Young Adult T1D Initiative Fund will focus on helping people living with T1D between the ages of 18 to 26 manage the difficult realities of a chronic maintenance disease on their own, something the traditional health care system is not well equipped to handle. This new program, and an existing partnership between Lillylulu and Boston Children’s Hospital, have been designed in collaboration with T1D Action, a charity committed to Better Care for people living with T1D. T1D is an autoimmune disease affecting 2 million Americans, more than half of whom are diagnosed as children. The disease destroys the body’s ability to produce insulin naturally in the pancreas resulting in insulin-dependent diabetes. Patients living with T1D rely on 24/7 infusions or injections of insulin and navigate constant balancing of blood sugar and insulin levels, which impact – and are impacted by – every aspect of daily life. Normal medical appointments can only do so much, as patients and families affected by T1D are largely left on their own to manage this complicated disease. Young adults living with T1D face a myriad of significant clinical and day-to-day challenges. Changes in living situation and insurance coverage, competing responsibilities (i.e. college attendance or transition to part- and full- time work), financial challenges, and newfound independence and responsibility each contribute to added hurdles for the management of their type 1 diabetes.

The Joslin Young Adult Program, at the Joslin Diabetes Center -- one the world’s largest diabetes clinics -- aims to support young adults to help them thrive, despite their condition. Led by Elena Toschi, MD, the Young Adult T1D Initiative Fund will directly address the real-life risks of being a young adult with T1D. This group is at higher risk for deterioration of T1D management, resulting in dangerous, sustained high blood sugar levels and increased hospital admissions. These poor outcomes have been attributed to reduced frequency of visits, lack of support with patient’s T1D self-management as they gain independence from family, and diminished ability to navigate the health and insurance systems to ensure continuous supplies of insulin and devices. Socio-economic and racial barriers only increase disparities in care, especially for this vulnerable age group. Compounding these factors, the adult care system historically has less frequent and shorter visits, as well as less psychosocial infrastructure, such as social workers and child life specialists, than their pediatric counter parts. We believe the Joslin Young Adult program will substantially improve outcomes for this group.

“We are deeply grateful for this generous and impactful gift, which will make a critical difference in improving the health and lives of many young adults with type 1 diabetes. Support from the Lillylulu Foundation will enable us to provide essential support to young adults seen in the adult care setting. The young adult population will benefit substantially from guidance to navigate the health care system, and it will help ensure better health outcomes,” said Dr. Elena Toschi, Joslin Diabetes Center. “The Joslin Young Adult Program is committed to helping every young adult succeed while living with diabetes. This gift will help us strengthen and advance that commitment."

Co-Founder and Director of Lillylulu, Lilly Lashar (22), states, “As a young adult T1D living on my own, even with the greatest care available in the world, having T1D is still a struggle every day as it does not stop or turn off. Navigating the physical and emotional waves combined with just obtaining basic supplies like insulin, CGM device equipment, filling prescriptions and grinding through difficult insurance requirements creates a full-time job at times and impossible to understand. This customized program, collaboration and partnership will address all of these obstacles and others to create access and equity in this space of basic care.” Joslin Diabetes Center Young Adult Program and the Lillylulu Foundation are hoping to attract additional generous families, donors and capital interested in making a direct and unique impact through the Young Adult T1D Initiative Fund.

About Joslin Diabetes Center: Joslin Diabetes Center is world-renowned for its deep expertise in diabetes treatment and research. Part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, Joslin Diabetes Center is dedicated to finding a cure for diabetes and ensuring that people with diabetes live long, healthy lives. We develop and disseminate innovative patient therapies and scientific discoveries throughout the world. Joslin is affiliated with Harvard Medical School and one of only 18 NIH-designated Diabetes Research Centers in the United States. The Joslin Young Adult Program aims to support each and every young adult to succeed while living with diabetes.

Our Young Adult Program tailors plans for young adults, taking into consideration their life goals and the emotional demands of living with diabetes. Each one of our clinical team members offers expertise in diabetes management, as well as extensive experience with diabetes technologies, including insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. We also take into account the busy lives of young adults and partner with patients to create realistic goals.

About the Lillylulu Foundation, Inc.: The Lillylulu Foundation, Inc. (www.lillylulufoundation.org) is a 100% volunteer based 501c3 organization that has been created to harness the generosity and focus of T1D donors and influencers to have an efficient, meaningful and direct impact on the T1D community. The impact we strive for is to be a contributor to address systematic deficiencies in care (physical and mental) by improving outcomes for those diagnosed with T1D. As parents and friends of T1D’s, our mission is rooted in providing direct gifts focused on impactful and actionable outcomes. We seek partners and organizations with innovative ideas and those areas that we believe are underfunded within our foundation’s focus to create relationships that allow us to drive influence and positive outcomes for our T1D community. Making as great an impact as possible is at the core of why the Lillylulu Foundation has been created by the family of a T1D young lady named Lilly.