Singer John Legend’s wife, Chrissy Teigen, has revealed that their eldest son Miles, 6, has Type 1 diabetes. The cookbook author shared the news after fans noticed Miles wearing a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) in a picture they shared at the 2024 Olympics.
“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,” she wrote.
“I’ve learned since then that this is how so many young children end up being diagnosed with type-1 – going to the hospital for something completely different,” she wrote. “After more testing, we learned he is in the ‘honeymoon period’ of a lifetime of T1.”
Teigen continued, “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.”
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease where one’s immune system destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the pancreas is unable to create insulin. The mother of four found out Miles had diabetes after he was hospitalized with an intestinal infection earlier in the summer. Doctors noticed something abnormal about his blood work, leading to the diagnosis.
“I’ve learned since then that this is how so many young children end up being diagnosed with type-1 – going to the hospital for something completely different,” Teigen wrote. “After more testing, we learned he is in the ‘honeymoon period’ of a lifetime of T1.”
She continued, “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.”
Currently, there is no cure for Type 1 Diabetes; people diagnosed with the disease usually have to take insulin for the rest of their lives to manage the condition. What causes the disease could be a combination of environmental factors and genetics. Some warning signs to look out for include frequent urination, weight loss, fatigue, extreme hunger, and wetting the bed with kids who don’t have a history of doing so.
