WORDS^ ELLIEGRIFFITHSPHOTOGRAPHY^GETTYIMAGES,^ PAMHUTCHINSON^so many people dealing with
diabetes across the country and
it’s rarely brought up or talked
about,” explains Shakaya.
Josh, who has type 1, has
discovered that although there
are many apps available today
to help him manage his
diabetes, there are many
functions missing, such
as emergency contacts.
“The CGM Buddy has an
emergency contact ability
in it, which will contact the
three emergency contacts putIt’s said our children are
the future, and they’re not
wrong; students Josh McDonald
and Shakaya Thomas, of Lara
Secondary School in Victoria,
recently won the Upstart
Challenge Geelong – an
entrepreneurial ideas challenge
and mentoring program for
secondary school – for their app
idea ‘CGM Buddy’.
What makes the CGM Buddy
so unique is the potential
impact it could have on people
with type 1 diabetes. “There’sVictorian students
Josh McDonald
and Shakaya
Thomas earned
the title of Young
Entrepreneur of
the Year with their
app for diabetes
management
T he kids ARE
ALL RIGHT
Shakaya and Josh, Upstart Challenge Geelong winners.