Hassan Mohamed is a 22-year-old who has lived with type 1 diabetes for 14 years and he wants to share what he’s learned.

Hassan recently contacted us to enquire about our Ambassadors Program, which is gathering a group of diabetes warriors throughout the states to be spokespeople, give speeches, attend events, and support us on social media.

“Living with diabetes is a process,” Hassan said. “As the years go by it’s getting easier, but only because I know more.”

“In January this year, I couldn’t understand why I was having so many lows.

“It wasn’t until I was in hospital that an endocrinologist told me I was injecting insulin into muscle, causing quicker absorption into the blood stream than it should be.

“Now I alternate different sites, but don’t use the top of my leg. It’s helped a lot.”

Hassan, whose parents were born in Somalia, would also like to be known among people from his ethnic background who he can help on their journey with diabetes.

“I want to speak to all people who want information about diabetes or even if they don’t have diabetes to let them know about it,” Hassan said. “Maybe I can be of most use in my own community.”

Hassan, who lives with his family including five brothers and sisters, didn’t have anyone to speak to who knew about type 1 when he was first diagnosed.

Now a Bachelor of Communications student at the University of Queensland, Hassan knows there’s a lot to learn about living with the condition.

“My latest HbA1c is 7.8%. Finding out about avoiding muscles when injecting insulin is helping me. I just didn’t know.”