From Patient to Nurse- Meet Molly Fruecht, Diabetes Nurse Educator

From a young age, Molly Fruecht, RN, knew she wanted to work in healthcare. Growing up with type 1 diabetes meant she was exposed to medicine from an early age. It also inspired her to want to work with other patients with diabetes once she got older.  

Throughout childhood and her young adult life, Molly was a patient seen by the specialists in Lurie Children’s Diabetes Program. Now, Molly still sees the staff from the Diabetes Program, but in a more official capacity as a Diabetes Nurse Educator, where she supports patients and families as they manage type 1 diabetes. Molly acts as a liaison between families and their child’s care team. Her role allows families to have constant communication and support. If families have questions about blood sugar patterns or need help with a new device, Molly can help them, with knowledge gained through her personal and professional experiences.  

“I'm able to not only provide perspective as a diabetes educator, but also from being a child that did have type 1,” Molly said. “I’m a diabetes educator but I’m also a person with type 1 diabetes. I’ve experienced much of the same things our patients go through, so I am fortunate to have that perspective now when I provide care, training and education to patient-families.” 

Molly credits her success in her professional role to her experience as a Lurie Children’s patient. Growing up, her team encouraged her confidence and independence in managing her diabetes, which allowed her to get to where she is today. When parents see Molly come in wearing her pump or her Dexcom, and then find out about all her accomplishments–like running a marathon last year or finishing graduate school–they learn that diabetes does not interfere with someone’s goals.  

“My team showed me there was nothing that was going to hold me back, and as long as I took care of myself, I would be setting myself up for a really strong future,” Molly said. 

About Lurie Children’s Diabetes Program 

Lurie Children's is ranked among the top in the nation for diabetes and endocrinology by U.S. News & World Report. By offering medical consultation, diagnosis, education, advice, guidelines and support, our diabetes program helps parents and children lead successful lives with diabetes diagnoses. 

We believe in family-centered care, which means we involve the whole family in a patient’s treatment plan. From bringing family members into care plan meetings, to providing support and distraction to a patient’s siblings, we do our best to help fit our care within your lifestyle. 

Our goal is to help children and families develop a customized plan of diabetes care. We also act as advocates in the community to ensure access to care and programs, as well as with schools to make the school setting safe and ready for children with diabetes and other endocrine disorders. 

Click here to learn more about Nursing at Lurie Children's.

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