#MarleysMovementNo child should die from Type 1 diabetes.
Marley Stoneman was spunky, intelligent, loving, and full of light. She died from undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes — a condition a 30-second test could have caught. In the United States, that test is not standard care. We treat sickness instead of preventing it, and our children pay the price. We are fighting to change that.
The system is failing our kids.
of U.S. kids are already in life-threatening DKA before Type 1 is diagnosed
of children are misdiagnosed — usually told they have the flu
have no family history. Your child is not 'low risk.'
is all the test takes. It is not being done.
A broken system
This is what sick care looks like.
In the United States, we wait for children to get sick before we test them. A 30-second finger-prick blood sugar test costs pennies — but it is not part of routine pediatric care. Instead, kids like Marley end up in intensive care, in comas, or in caskets, because the system was built to treat disease, not prevent it.
Other countries catch Type 1 diabetes early through nationwide screening programs. Ours catches it in the emergency room. That is not health care. That is sick care. And it has to change.
Her Story
Marley
She was here. She was loved. And she should still be here.
Marley was the kind of kid who lit up every room she walked into. She was spunky, smart, and impossibly loving — quick with a hug, a joke, and a strong opinion about which color her nails should be that week. Pink was her favorite. Sunflowers were a close second.
The symptoms came on like the flu. Tiredness, stomach pain, not quite herself. Within days, what looked like a passing virus turned into a medical emergency. Marley was rushed to the ICU in sudden-onset Diabetic Ketoacidosis — a life-threatening complication of Type 1 diabetes that no one knew she had. Her blood sugar was off the charts. Her body was shutting down. For days, doctors and nurses fought to bring her back. She fought, too. She was a fighter.
She did not survive. In her final hours, Marley's family made the hardest decision a family can make — and turned it into a gift. Her heart now beats in a 6-year-old in Tennessee. Her liver is saving a child in Florida. Her kidneys are saving a child in Georgia. Three families will know their child because of her. That is who Marley was: even leaving, she loved.
None of this should have happened. A simple blood sugar test could have caught it. That test is not standard care in the United States. We are working to change that — for Marley, and for every child still here.
The most important section
Know the Signs
Early recognition saves lives. Share these signs with every parent, grandparent, and caregiver you know.
When in doubt — ask for a finger-prick blood sugar test.
It is fast, simple, and could save your child's life. You are not overreacting.
Warning signs of Type 1 Diabetes
In children, these can appear suddenly — within days or weeks.
Frequent urination
Including new bedwetting
Extreme thirst
Can't seem to drink enough
Unexplained weight loss
Extreme fatigue
Increased hunger
Blurred vision
Mood changes
Irritability or confusion
Call 911 or go to the ER immediately
DKA is a life-threatening emergency. If your child shows any of these signs, do not wait.
- Fruity-smelling breath
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Rapid breathing
- Confusion or drowsiness
- Loss of consciousness
Support the mission.
Every dollar funds awareness, education materials for pediatricians' offices, and the fight to make Type 1 screening standard care. Marley's memorial fund is how we make sure her story changes the system.
Donate to Marley's Memorial