Annual award recognizes outstanding Breakthrough T1D volunteer leadership
Lewisville, Texas and New York, Feb. 12, 2025—Breakthrough T1D, formerly JDRF, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization, proudly announces Natalie Stanback as the recipient of the 2024 Huntsman Family Community Engagement Award for her outstanding leadership in advocacy, testimony before the U.S. Senate, and contributions as the Northern Texas and Oklahoma Chapter’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee Chair.
The award recognizes a volunteer who has made an impactful contribution to the T1D community by fostering a sense of community and engagement with the larger Breakthrough T1D family and empowering individuals to make a difference in their own lives.
Natalie’s life took a pivotal turn in 2015 when her eldest daughter, Nadia, was diagnosed with T1D, a condition that has deeply affected her family for generations. This connection, along with the tragic loss of her brother to complications of T1D, became the driving force behind her passionate involvement with Breakthrough T1D. Natalie currently serves as a member of the Northern Texas and Oklahoma Chapter’s Board of Directors and as the DEIB Committee Chair. As an avid runner, Natalie has participated twice in the NYC marathon with team Breakthrough T1D. She and her family were honored at the chapter’s 2023 gala as a Fund A Cure family, and they participated in Children’s Congress in 2019. In 2023, Natalie solidified her commitment to advocacy when she served as Children’s Congress Chair and also joined Breakthrough T1D CEO Aaron Kowalski as a witness at the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on diabetes. Her compelling testimony further educated Congress and the public about T1D and the challenges of being a mother and caregiver of a child with T1D. It also reinforced the need for continued research funding and advancing affordable insulin. Her work and testimony contributed greatly to the renewal of the Special Diabetes Program with the first funding increase in 20 years.
“Breakthrough T1D is proud to honor Natalie Stanback with this award and recognize her exceptional volunteer leadership within her local community, across our organization, and all the way to Capitol Hill,” said Aaron Kowalski, PhD, Breakthrough T1D CEO. “Natalie’s commitment to the type 1 diabetes community and Breakthrough T1D’s mission is evident in her ongoing fundraising, awareness building, and advocacy efforts, and we are grateful for her continued dedication, passion, and partnership.”
Breakthrough T1D recognizes and appreciates all of the dedicated volunteers and supporters who commit their lives to the worldwide effort to end T1D. Volunteer award recipients were recognized at the annual Breakthrough T1D One Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
About Breakthrough T1D, Formerly JDRF
As the leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization, Breakthrough T1D helps make everyday life with type 1 diabetes better while driving toward cures. We do this by investing in the most promising research, advocating for progress by working with government to address issues that impact the T1D community, and helping educate and empower individuals facing this condition.
About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
T1D is an autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all. This leads to dependence on insulin therapy and the risk of short and long-term complications, which can include highs and lows in blood sugar; damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and heart; and even death. Globally, it impacts nearly 9 million people. Many believe T1D is only diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, but diagnosis in adulthood is common and accounts for nearly 50% of all T1D diagnoses. The onset of T1D has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. There is currently no cure for T1D.
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