Chrissy Teigen Opens Up About Her Son’s Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis

If you were following along with the Olympics over the past two weeks, you may have been one of thousands who noticed what looked like a glucose monitor on the arm of one of Chrissy Teigen’s kids. Since her time spent cheering in the stands with family, Teigen has confirmed that her 6-year-old son Miles has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

In an Instagram post made shortly after the event, Teigen opened up about her son’s diagnosis. “A lot of you noticed something a little special about a photo I posted a few days ago — Luna, Miles and I celebrating Simone and team USA," she wrote. “Miles had his arm up, and soooo many of you reached out to say the most beautiful and incredible words I have ever witnessed on this platform. You noticed his type-1 diabetes monitor and extended so much love and encouragement in every way possible. I was, and am, so blown away by the kindness of this community, already.”

Teigen went on to add that her son was diagnosed—as many kids are—during an unrelated trip to the hospital. “A couple weeks ago, our Miles was sick, in the hospital, with a terrible case of shigella, an intestinal infection caused by bacteria in food or water. A lot of his friends were also sick with it, as they went to the same camp and well, it happens!” she continued.

“But the doctors knew something else was off about his blood tests…After more testing, we learned he is in the ‘honeymoon period’ of a lifetime of T1,” Teigen said. “Last night we gave him his first shot of insulin and here we go! A different, new world for us and we are certainly learning so much on the fly.”

Outside of managing Miles’ blood sugar levels, Teigen and her husband, John Legend, have been doing their best to educate their son about type 1 diabetes and empower him to embrace it. One way they are doing this is through the book Year One with Type One. The book chronicles the author’s journey through the first year after their child’s diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes providing insights into the emotional, practical, and medical challenges faced by families navigating life with it.

In the comments, the Type 1 diabetic community showed their support. “You’ve got this, Miles! I wore a CGM in space last year to study insulin resistance to make sure little kids like Miles know not even the sky is a limit on their dreams,” wrote astronaut Kellie Gerardi. “My two brothers have T1, love that book. Nick Jonas does too, your son should go meet bad ass people, and see he’s not alone and can still accomplish anything,” added another commenter. “It’s scary, but it becomes second nature and you guys will rock it.”

Check out these symptoms of Type 1 diabetes in babies and toddlers and don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor if you suspect your child may be struggling with Type 1 diabetes symptoms.