Meet the Dancer Determined to Prove It Can Be Easier to Live With Diabetes

Meet the Dancer Determined to Prove It Can Be Easier to Live With Diabetes

Dancer Lydia Brian faced life-changing news early in her teenage years. At just 14, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Recalling the traumatic moment she was told she’d be on medication for the rest of her life, she tells PS UK: “I was faced with the idea of having to inject myself for the rest of my life, it was quite honestly the most traumatic thing to hear. I hated needles, I hated injecting.

“Growing up and managing my diabetes was really difficult,” she continued. “It got harder when I went to university because I had no mum and dad to be checking in on me like, “Lydia, did you inject? Did you do this right, calculate that, right?” I also wasn’t a huge cook so I’d be eating out all the time, but most popular restaurants didn’t have nutritional information readily available, so even that became uncontrollable, I couldn’t handle it.”

But since receiving her diagnosis and coming to terms with living with diabetes, she’s been raising awareness and pledging to make living with diabetes easier for all who have been diagnosed. After taking on a business course at Nottingham Trent University, which required students to have a business idea, Brian’s app “Check, Select, Inject” was born.

“I’d like my app to be community driven and to be a companion for diabetics.”

The app gives Brian and others with diabetes an incredible resource at their fingertips. Features include accurate carb counting, to eliminate guesswork and ensure precise insulin dosing for better blood sugar control, meal tracking and customisable reminders. “Check, Select, Inject” prides itself on providing convenience and accessibility for its customers.

“I make TikToks about living with diabetes and I’ve made videos about the app as well, and the most rewarding thing is when I get messages from people saying how my TikToks have changed their life and perception of diabetes, or that my videos have made them feel seen – some just say, ‘Thank God this app is out, I cannot wait to use it’. Some people have already told me it’s really good and beneficial, that it’s been helpful with making their life easier. That’s the biggest reward for me, helping people that were once struggling like me.”

Amid the launch of her app, news broke that tens of thousands of children and adults living with Type 1 Diabetes across England could be set to receive an ‘artificial pancreas’ in a world-first initiative being rolled out by the NHS. The artificial pancreas, sometimes called a closed loop system, works by releasing insulin whenever your body needs it as a working pancreas would, according to Diabetes UK.

“I think it’s definitely the right step, anything to make a diabetic’s life easier is good in my books,” Brian tells us, before voicing some concerns about the system. “But I fear the ease of this method could be a bit misleading. Based on things I’ve heard from people who have actually tested it is that it’s harder to be active, and for me, a dancer, that scares me. Imagine [if] a tube that’s literally giving me insulin detaches itself.”

Instead, Brian’s focus is on raising awareness as she hopes to talk about diabetes in schools and make people more comfortable to own and speak about their diagnosis more freely. “I think for me, more awareness within my communities and at school would’ve helped me way more when I was younger,” she says. “People should be less ignorant about diabetes and it’s good to be equipped and to know what to do if a diabetic next to you passes out.”

For “Check, Select, Inject”, Brian plans on pushing the app to become a hub for diabetics, a home for the information and awareness she hopes will come. “I want my app to be community driven and I plan on adding features like a chat forum and places for diabetics to talk about alcohol or dealing with diabetes in a relationship. There’s so much that gets missed, or things that aren’t spoken about, so I want the app to be the place for that conversation. I want it to be a community and a companion for diabetics.”

Download “Check, Select, Inject” on the App Store and Google Play. For help and support about diabetes visit Diabetes UK or call 0345 123 2399.

Lauren Gordon is the editorial coordinator at PS UK, where she creates lifestyle and identity content. Lauren has a degree in journalism from University of the Arts London and previously worked as a showbiz and TV reporter at The Mirror US. Lauren specialises in pop culture, hair and beauty, focusing on trends, sharing in-depth tutorials, and highlighting hidden gems in the beauty industry.