When Your Baby is Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes: Marlee's Story

"My baby went from fussy to lifeless in hours—by the time we reached the PICU, they said he might have had six hours to live."

In this episode, TikTok Influencer and Medical Mom Marlee Brandon, a pediatric speech-language pathologist turned full-time mom, shares the whirlwind diagnosis of her 12-month-old son Bain with Type 1 diabetes and severe DKA, the traumatic hospital stay, and the everyday advocacy that followed. Raw, practical, and deeply hopeful.

Why this episode matters

• Emotional clarity: what a Type 1 diagnosis really feels like in infancy

• Practical advocacy: scripts, choices, and language that help toddlers cope

• System gaps: when even major hospitals say "we've never seen this in a baby"

• Hope forward: raising a confident kid who knows why care matters

What You'll Learn

• Early signs & ER visit: how "ear infection" symptoms masked T1D in a baby

• DKA in plain language: what "acidic blood" means and how PICU treats it

• The learning cliff: carb ratios, breastfeeding while dosing insulin, and why it's OK not to "get it" on day one

• Toddler coping: give choices, narrate care, build independence

• Rebuilding trust after mistakes: when training/tools aren't perfect

• Finding your people: groups, podcasts, and creators who answer "what now?"

Timestamps

• 00:00 Meet Marlee (pediatric SLP → motherhood)

• 01:40 Why speech therapy & pediatrics

• 03:55 Bain turns one → sudden "ear infection" → nonstop vomiting

• 06:30 Small-town ER: "He has diabetes" (dismantling stereotypes)

• 08:35 Life-flight & PICU: severe DKA, hourly sticks, no food for 48 hrs

• 10:20 Turning the corner: energy returns; the six-hour window

• 11:22 "I don't understand this"—carb ratios, nursing, overwhelm

• 13:05 "We've never seen this in a baby" at a major children's hospital

• 15:23 Tears → handing tasks to partner → first solo shot

• 17:20 The Chick-fil-A moment: necessity builds confidence

• 18:44 Finding community: Facebook groups, YouTube, TikTok

• 19:55 Narrating care for toddlers—SLP tools that build trust & language

• 21:19 Offering choices: stickers, shot sites, pushing the button

• 22:53 Caregiver reality: self-care with very young T1D

• 24:32 Why daycare felt unsafe: syringe mix-ups & trust

• 25:54 Joy check: rocks, crafts, and a kid excited by everything

• 27:56 Best resources for newly diagnosed families

• 29:52 "Diabetes doesn't define your life."

Marlee Shares that...

• "Type 1 isn't about weight or diet—my baby was still nursing."

• "They told my husband he probably had six hours to live."

• "I thought I needed nursing school to understand our endo."

• "I won't chase him with a shot. I explain why—insulin keeps you safe."

• "You can be anything and do anything…and have diabetes."

Resources & Links

• Support communities

  • Diapers & Diabetes (Facebook group for infants/toddlers with T1D)

  • Juicebox Podcast

• Related Child Life On Call resources

  • Explaining shots, blood draws and vaccines to kids

   

• SupportSpot App (by Child Life On Call)

  • Procedure guides, coping plans, journals, and parent resources to feel prepared and advocate with confidence