Every child should get to explore their world unbound.
Stop Feeling Alone Together.
Our Mission
Our mission is to encourage and enable youth with Type 1 Diabetes so that their true identity, value, and potential is unbound from their diagnosis.
The Need
Over 300,000 youth in the US live with Type 1 Diabetes—a chronic condition requiring constant, minute-by-minute blood sugar management.
During adolescence, these young people face a critical transition: taking ownership of their own health while navigating all the normal challenges of growing up.
The mental health toll is significant. Depression and anxiety rates among children with T1D far exceed their peers, and research shows 36% will experience serious symptoms of burnout.
We Make Spaces that Build Resilience Together
Type 1 Unbound serves 200+ families in the Portland area through monthly gatherings where youth discover they're more than their diagnosis.
In these spaces, youth discover that Type 1 Diabetes is something they manage—not something that defines them. They build relationships with others who truly understand. They accomplish goals they didn't think possible. They find motivation beyond parental reminders or medical necessity. Where they push boundaries together.
Our Vision
Through building relationships and accomplishing meaningful goals of all types, youth will discover the passion and motivation to take ownership of their Type 1 Diabetes—leading to healthier, more joyful, and fulfilling lives.
Why We Started Type 1 Unbound
Six years ago, our daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. She doesn't remember life before it. We do.
We've watched her become an amazing mathematician and scientist. We've also watched her feel profoundly alone—the only kid constantly calculating carbs, the only one whose phone won't stop beeping, the only one who can't just eat cake and run around the playground.
Portland has excellent medical resources, parent support groups, and a few camps. But we saw a critical gap: our kids needed each other. They needed friends and mentors who don't require explanations. A tribe that gets it.
As our daughter approached middle school—facing the transition to self-management without a motivating community beyond her parents' reminders—we knew something had to change.
That's why we founded Type 1 Unbound.
We're building the community we wish had existed when our daughter was diagnosed. A place where kids support each other through the challenges and celebrate each other's victories. Where the next generation learns from those just ahead of them.
Until there's a cure, this community will catch our kids when they stumble and propel them forward with purpose.
An Open Invitation
We invite you into this community—to bring encouragement on good days and vulnerability on hard days.
We believe our children will become the next generation of support for those newly diagnosed or yet to be diagnosed. Until there's a cure, this tightly woven community will catch our kids when they stumble and propel them back into life with purpose.
Whether you're a parent seeking connection, a young person with T1D looking for your tribe, or someone who wants to support this mission—there's a place for you here.
— Ryan Summers, Founder & President
— Dyea Summers, Co-Founder & Secretary
