Jake Thompson, a Newfoundland-based puppeteer diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a child, leverages puppetry and advocacy to influence research funding and raise awareness across Canada, including a notable trip to Parliament Hill.
Jake Thompson has turned a childhood fascination with puppets into an unlikely platform for type 1 diabetes advocacy. The 21-year-old from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, now spends part of his time on Parliament Hill and part in front of a camera, where his puppet-led talk and variety show has featured Canadian actors, politicians, musicians and artists. For Breakthrough T1D Canada, his story is part of a wider push to show how donor support and volunteer advocacy can shape research priorities and improve day-to-day care for people living with the condition.
Thompson was diagnosed on New Year’s Eve in 2017, when he was 11, after weeks of feeling unwell and a sudden trip to hospital. He said he spent the early years after diagnosis learning to manage the condition while coping with repeated hospital visits and diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication that can occur when insulin levels are too low. Like many people with type 1 diabetes, he says the arrival of continuous glucose monitors made a major difference, replacing repeated finger-prick checks with easier, near real-time readings on his phone.
Earlier this year, Thompson travelled to Ottawa for Breakthrough T1D’s T1D on the Hill programme, where advocates met members of Parliament and senators to press for stronger research funding. He said the event was especially meaningful because he was able to meet other people living with type 1 diabetes and felt less isolated. Among the conversations that stood out most was one with Senator Ravalia, whom he said understood the issues quickly because of his medical background.
Thompson has also folded advocacy into his work as a puppeteer and director. He said he has pinned a Breakthrough T1D badge to one of his on-screen characters and has considered creating an educational series for children about the condition. Breakthrough T1D Canada, formerly known as JDRF, says its mission is to speed up breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat type 1 diabetes and its complications, including work on cell therapy and islet replacement research. The organisation has backed Canadian research for decades, and in 2021 it helped launch the first Breakthrough T1D Centre of Excellence in type 1 diabetes research at the University of British Columbia as part of its wider $100 million campaign.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
