MARYLAND/JARVIS—Laura C. Gee was just seven years old when she learned she had Type 1 diabetes. Forty years later, she was motivated to write Sage Being Brave.
The fictional chapter book, released September 1, 2026, is the kind of book she would have loved to have as a child while growing up in Jarvis and handling her own diagnosis.
“I knew I wanted to write something for children that reflected my experience of living with Type 1 diabetes,” said Gee, who now lives in Frederick, Maryland.
Sage is an eight-year-old who loves soccer, bike riding, playing with her best friend Lucy, and her pet rabbit. When she is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, so much of her life feels different – school, sports, even sleepovers.
But the story conveys the message of learning to live with diabetes as a part of everyday life. Gee said, “A diabetes diagnosis is a lot to take in … but it doesn’t mean childhood stops. Kids with Type 1 diabetes can still go to school, play sports, have sleepovers, eat birthday cake, travel, and grow up to do things they probably can’t even imagine yet.”
Looking back on her own diagnosis, Gee remembers feeling “incredibly thirsty and weak.” On one occasion she vividly recalled, “I was so thirsty that I actually mistook a jug of vinegar in the refrigerator for water!”
While she didn’t understand what was happening, Gee could sense that her parents, Larry and Joan, were concerned. She said, “My memories of the diagnosis itself are scattered. What I remember much more clearly is how much my parents cared and how dedicated they were to learning everything they could to keep me healthy.”
“I think one of the greatest gifts my parents gave me was taking diabetes seriously without making me feel as though I was fragile,” Gee added. “Diabetes was part of our life, not our whole life. I remember wanting to just be a kid … My parents made sure I got to be one.”
Joan shared, “Laura had diabetes, but she was still Laura. We wanted her to grow up knowing she could do the things she wanted to do. We worried, of course, but we never wanted our worry to become hers.”
Larry remembers Laura’s determination growing up.
“She worried a lot about what others thought,” he said. “But she was so determined and never let diabetes stand in her way.”
That determination led to a career in biomedical research. Gee explained, “I wanted to give something back to the field that I credit with saving my life.”
She later moved into communications, which provided the opportunity to see how diseases are discussed from both a scientific and a communications perspective. That background enabled Gee to make Sage’s story medically accurate without feeling like a “diabetes lesson.”
She added, “Sage is a kid first. She’s navigating friendships, family, school, and worries while also learning how diabetes fits into her life.”
Publishing in 2026 was especially meaningful for Gee, as this year marks 40 years since her diagnosis. She wrote it for children living with Type 1 diabetes and for their friends and families.
“Diabetes affects the people who love us, too,” Gee said.
“More than anything, I hope the story helps children feel understood while also helping the people around them better understand what living with diabetes can be like … I can’t go back and hand 7-year-old me a book like this, but I can write one for a kid who needs it now,” Gee continued. “I hope they understand that being brave doesn’t mean that you aren’t scared or frustrated sometimes … You can feel all of those things and still keep going. That’s really at the heart of Sage Being Brave: learning to live bravely one ordinary day at a time.”
Sage Being Brave is available in paperback through online booksellers.
