Teen Helps Create Glucose-Tracking App After Diagnosis

Will Coleman felt so exhausted he couldn't help his dad move furniture, a red flag for a competitive soccer player who usually had energy to spare.

His father suspected Type 1 diabetes based on family history. Doctors confirmed it and rushed Coleman to intensive care with dangerously low blood sugar that risked organ damage.

After leaving the ICU, Coleman received a Pink Panther coloring book explaining his disease. When his family requested resources for teens from a diabetes organization, they got the same coloring book again.

Coleman's mother, Leanne Chukoskie, an associate professor at Northeastern University, knew teens needed better tools. She partnered with her PhD student Sundararaman Rengarajan to create something actually useful for young adults managing diabetes.

In summer 2023, they launched Sugar Slay, an app that uses machine learning and gamification to help users track and predict glucose levels. Users complete "missions" and earn badges for consistently tracking their food, mood, and biometrics from connected devices like glucose monitors and WHOOP fitness bands.

The timing matters more than ever. Type 1 diabetes typically strikes between ages 4 and 7 or 10 and 14, but Coleman was diagnosed at 17 while preparing for college and independence.

"When you consider the transitional stage of life young adults are in and the complexity of managing a very nuanced disease, it can often lead to gaps in care," said Kat Lucas, director of marketing at The Diabetes Link. Clinical advice on paper doesn't address real struggles like managing worried parents or the mental burden of constant monitoring.

The Ripple Effect

Northeastern's Center for Research Innovation and entrepreneurship programs helped bring the prototype to life. The team presented at MALSI Day, Massachusetts' premier life sciences innovation event, and partnered with Boston-based WHOOP to integrate fitness tracking data.

The app is now in testing with members of The Diabetes Link community. Rengarajan plans to work on Sugar Slay full-time after finishing his doctorate, turning a summer project into a solution that could help thousands of young adults navigate diabetes with less stress and better support.

Coleman, now 19 and studying physics and philosophy at Northeastern, has watched his personal struggle become a tool for others facing the same challenges.