More Than My Diagnosis: Janina
If you've spent any time in the diabetes community online, chances are you've seen Janina Gaudin's work.
She goes by Miss Diabetes, a comic artist and visual health communicator based in Auckland. Her comics do something a lot of health content doesn't: they're honest, relatable, and genuinely funny. But diabetes is only one part of who she is.
Janina is a storyteller through and through. Outside the comics, she's usually deep in a graphic novel, travelling, hanging out with friends and family, or out walking her dog, McFly. Her friends call her creative, curious, and a little bit obsessed with comics. She'd probably agree.
"I love creating stories with my comics and illustrations," she says. "Using my creativity to express my lived experience of type 1 diabetes helps people feel less alone." That's one of the things she's most proud of.
She was diagnosed with type 1 at 13, and diabetes has been there ever since, through school, friendships, relationships, travel, work, all of it. But rather than holding her back, she says it shaped how she sees the world.
"Living with diabetes made me very aware of how I wanted to live my life, intentionally and on my own terms."
That mindset has taken her places. This year alone she's presented her comics and visual communication work at the University of Zurich, and she sits as a commissioner on the Type 1 Diabetes and Endocrinology Lancet Commission, work that's brought her to Geneva and connected her with people pushing for better lives for people with diabetes globally.
Despite her work keeping her busy, she also made time for a comic book festival in Lyon recently - because balance matters - and came home with as many graphic novels as she could physically fit in her suitcase.
Janina spends a lot of her time educating people about diabetes, but one thing she wishes people understood is simple: it's not an invitation for judgement.
“Diabetes isn’t an invitation to pass on judgement, stigma or misinformation. It’s an opportunity to be curious, supportive and meet someone where they’re at.”
Her advice for anyone newly diagnosed focuses on taking it slow
"Life with diabetes is overwhelming at first. Take it one step at a time. And don't do it alone. There is a huge community of people who understand what you're going through and would love to support you."
These days, a good day for Janina looks like being deep in a creative flow, making comics, time with the people she loves, a walk with her pup, and a good coffee.
What keeps her going? "Creativity and the ability to express myself through my work."
Janina is a prime example that people living with diabetes are artists, travelers, advocates, dog owners, storytellers, and so much more. Diabetes might be part of the picture, her picture, but it's certainly not the full illustration.
You can follow more of Janina's work on Instagram at @missdiabetes.