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braveONE

Every kid with T1D deserves someone who gets it.

braveONE matches children and teens living with Type 1 Diabetes with trained adult mentors who live with T1D too. Free for families. Now in 19 states and growing.

Find a mentor for my child Become a mentor

Prefer to give? $25 sends a Welcome Warrior Box to a new mentee.

A braveONE mentee and her mentor smiling together at a slime-making outing

Where do you fit in?

Four ways into braveONE. Pick the one that sounds like you.

What 18 months of mentorship built

Where braveONE stands, September 2026

Mentor matches
50 + Mentor matches
States reached
19 States reached
Outings together
134 + Outings together
Hours of connection
~ 300 Hours of connection
Prospective mentors
~ 400 Prospective mentors
Families waiting for a match
150 + Families waiting for a match

Camp ends. The diagnosis doesn’t.

Kids and teens with Type 1 Diabetes carry a constant, invisible workload, and it takes a real toll. Camps and gatherings create wonderful memories, but when they’re over, many kids go back to feeling like the only one.

  • 2× as likely to experience depression as their peers
  • 3× as likely to experience anxiety
  • 1 in 5 meet the criteria for a mental health disorder
braveONE warriors and their mentor showing off their matching sensors

So we made the connection last all year.

braveONE pairs a child with an adult who has lived it. Same sensor, same lows in the middle of a birthday party, same questions at school. Mentors commit to regular outings, so the magic of camp becomes an ordinary part of life, and families get the comfort of knowing someone truly understands.

How a match happens

  1. Step 1

    Tell us about your child

    A short interest form: age, where you live, what they love doing. It takes a few minutes.

  2. Step 2

    We find the right mentor

    We match on shared experience, interests and personality. Every mentor is screened and trained before they meet your child.

  3. Step 3

    The friendship starts

    Ice cream, bowling, horseback riding, a visit to school. Real outings, on a regular basis, all year.

Start my child’s form Read the FAQ

Parents are seeing the difference at home

94%

of parents say their child talks positively about their mentor or outings.

86%

of families further into the program have noticed a positive change in their child.

What families tell us changed:

  • More confidence
  • Feeling less alone
  • Opening up more
  • Trying new things
See the stories behind the numbers

It started with Bella.

“Bella was diagnosed at just 2 years old. As she grew and started asking questions I couldn’t always answer, I searched for someone who truly understood her journey. That search is what led to braveONE.”

Brandi, founder of braveONE and Bella’s mom

Read our story Meet our matches
0:00
Brandi on why braveONE exists (1 min)

braveONE moments

Real matches, real outings. Every photo here is a braveONE kid and their mentor.

See more moments
  • A mentor and mentee posing in an “I survived Lettuce Lake Park” photo frame
  • A mentee and her mentor showing off the pottery they painted together
  • A mentee and her mentor holding up a drawing she made
  • A mentor and mentee taking a mirror selfie on a shopping trip
  • A mentor and his mentee with a soccer ball at the park
  • A mentor and his mentee at a glow arcade
  • A mentor and mentee looking at a phone together over lunch
  • A mentor and mentee relaxing on a patio with their letters
  • A mentee enjoying a sushi dinner out
  • A mentor and his mentee at a park picnic table

#IfIHadBraveONE

Adults across the T1D community share how life might have been different if they’d had a braveONE mentor growing up. It’s honest, emotional, and it’s exactly why this program exists.

Support a match, change a life

More than 150 families are waiting. Your gift pays for the background checks, training and outings that make a safe match possible.

Donate now

Bring braveONE to your community

Clinics, camps, employers and community groups help us reach the families who need a mentor most, and sponsors keep matches running.

Partner with braveONE

Get the latest from braveONE

New fundraisers, Warrior Box deliveries, mentor openings and match news. Only the important updates.

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