7 months ago

Padmaja Kumari Parmar on Living with Type 1 Diabetes

Padmaja Kumari Parmar on Living with Type 1 Diabetes
‘Modern-day princess’ Padmaja Kumari Parmar on not knowing a world without Type 1 diabetes: ‘Being diagnosed at 5 changed life overnight’ · indianexpress.com

Padmaja Kumari Parmar is a princess from the House of Mewar who has been living with Type 1 Diabetes since she was 5 years old.

She has managed the condition for nearly 40 years and has become an advocate for raising awareness and support.

Padmaja shares her journey of discipline, awareness, and resilience, and how she has turned her diagnosis into a platform for helping others.

She also talks about her non-profit organization, Friends of Mewar, which focuses on preventive healthcare, women’s empowerment, education, and cultural preservation.

Padmaja emphasizes the importance of balance, awareness, and self-trust in managing Type 1 Diabetes and living a fulfilling life.

Key facts

Name
Padmaja Kumari Parmar
Condition
Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
Age at Diagnosis
5 years old
Duration with T1D
Almost 40 years
Non-Profit Organization
Friends of Mewar
Founded
2013
Focus Areas
Preventive healthcare, women’s empowerment, education, and cultural preservation
Location
Boston, USA

Quotes

Padmaja Kumari Parmar

Member of the House of Mewar and advocate for Type 1 Diabetes awareness

“Thriving with Type 1 diabetes doesn’t require doing more with food or exercise than anyone else who chooses to live a healthy life. In other words, I eat just as thoughtfully as someone who simply wants to feel well and stay fit. It’s a common myth that those of us with T1D live within endless restrictions. The truth is, from athletes to surgeons to Supreme Court judges, people with this condition do everything they set their minds to. We simply make intelligent, informed choices—just like anyone striving to live consciously and well. I also consider myself a foodie, a trait I share with my father. I genuinely enjoy food while making conscious decisions to stay healthy—it’s all about balance, not deprivation.”
indianexpress.com
“Friends of Mewar was born from a very simple but deep intention: to carry forward the legacy of service of the House of Mewar in a way that is relevant and accountable to today’s realities. Inspired by watching my grandfather and my father use heritage as a living tool for social good, I felt a responsibility to create a platform that could focus specifically on three things I care about deeply—preventive healthcare, women’s empowerment and education, and cultural preservation. The name itself came from conversations with my father; it reflects a belief that you don’t have to be from Mewar to care about Mewar—you just have to be a friend who believes in shared responsibility and collective impact.”
indianexpress.com

Sources

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