Jennifer Holdgreve from Centreville, Maryland, is the mother of Allison, age 8. Allison was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was six years old. This is her story: Parents Talking Type 1 Allison was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on May 1, 2011. We remember it like it was yesterday, but at the same time, it now feels like diabetes has always been a part of our lives. She had the classic symptoms of fatigue, weight loss, extreme thirst, extreme hunger and using the bathroom all the time. Of course we knew nothing about diabetes, so we did not realize the seriousness of what was happening