She Was Diagnosed with Diabetes at 8—Now She’s Challenging Stigmas

Photo courtesy of Shay Webb For many, a medical diagnosis can feel like a roadblock—an unexpected detour that reshapes life’s trajectory. But for some, it becomes a catalyst for change, a call to action that ignites a lifelong commitment to advocacy. This is the story of Shay Webb, a diabetes advocate and researcher, whose journey from patient to policy influencer is paving the way for better healthcare access, representation, and awareness—particularly for communities of color. From Diagnosis to Awareness Growing up in Wilmington, NC, a predominantly white community, Webb was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just eight years old and later with rheumatoid arthritis at eighteen. These diagnoses came with significant challenges—not just in terms of managing her health but also in confronting the widespread misconceptions surrounding diabetes. “One thing I noticed was that type 1 diabetes was not widely recognized among patients of color due to a lack of mobilization. Many people assumed type 1 was juvenile diabetes, which isn’t always the case. If you were a person of color, people often assumed you had type 2 diabetes,” Webb tells BlackDoctor.org. Seeing firsthand how this lack of representation impacted treatment and awareness, Shay realized the need for mobilization...