Erin Statler and a date.

Erin Statler is a native Arlingtonian, Yorktown HS graduate, and Pupatella frequenter. Her family was not abnormal for the mid-80s (brother, sister, dogs, too many goldfish and a Filipino nanny). Erin’s early life was subsumed by her Type 1 Diabetes at 18 months of age and the consequences that followed that diagnosis. In spite of that she had many hours playing sports, riding her bike and traveling internationally with her family--  in all it made a terrific and enviable childhood. Her faith practice involved lighting the Hanukkah candles with her Jewish father and attending Easter service with her mother. Her Filipino nanny’s role was underacknowledged, as she prayed the Rosary in the other room while the kids and parents had dinner. Erin had a tacit connection with the Lord from an early age, an admiration more than an understanding.

The Type 1 Diabetes became an ever-present weight on her shoulders after middle school, and her rebellion against the chronic disease came in the form of skipping her insulin injections. She took barely enough insulin to make it to school and practice. By the beginning of college, her doctors warned she would suffer the inevitable consequences of hyperglycemia (vision loss, limb loss, mental health impairments, etc.). It didn’t get through. That did not happen until much later.

Erin Statler with friends at the beach.

Throughout her 20s, she continued to skimp on insulin but still managed to live independently, working one internship after the next. Eventually Erin found a career in education; earning a master’s degree in special education equipped her to lead classrooms of children with disabilities and create programs for related services. 

Restoration Anglican Church came into the picture in 2012, and it was in those small groups where she found Christian accountability. Memory loss, fatigue, and the physical toll her body endured kept her from thriving yet also held her near to the Lord. Now, as a behavior therapist, transplant recipient, and just shy of 40, Erin serves the families of Northern VA with autism. Still, she leans on her tremendously talented healthcare team to meet the rough days ahead. Now, her hope is to sustain a period free of illness or injury to travel internationally once more like she did with her intrepid family.