Armed with hashtags, these activists made insulin prices a presidential talking point

Hannah Crabtree got active on Twitter in 2016 to find more people like herself: those with Type 1 diabetes who'd hacked their insulin pumps to automatically adjust the amount of insulin delivered.

Soon, though, Crabtree found a more critical diabetes-related conversation happening on Twitter: rising insulin prices.

Crabtree's mother, who also had diabetes, died in 2006 of complications from rationing expensive insulin. Most people naturally produce the hormone, which helps the body convert carbohydrates into energy. People with Type 1 diabetes don't produce enough, so they need injectable insulin to stay alive.