Este Haim got candid about living with type 1 diabetes, describing the constant mental load of managing the condition and recalling moments of fainting during performances. She also reflected on how diabetes has brought empathy and community—while acknowledgin
Este Haim described type 1 diabetes as the one part of her life that can’t be celebrated the way the rest can.
At the Tribeca Festival in New York City on June 13. the singer—who performs with her sisters Alana Haim and Danielle Haim in the band Haim—spoke during the “Storytellers” series with filmmaker and songwriter Will Gluck. In that conversation. she called the autoimmune disease “tough” and “really mentally taxing. ” saying. “I really struggle with this part of my life. Everything in my life is amazing. I have an amazing husband. I have an amazing career. I have an amazing family. This is the only thing in my life where I wish I didn’t have to deal with it.”.
She didn’t sugarcoat what day-to-day management feels like. Haim said she’s forced to make “at least 200 microdecisions every single day” to keep herself steady. Those choices. she said. include tracking what she eats. counting carbs. measuring insulin. and watching for dips in blood sugar—right down to whether supplies are available. Her list carried the rhythm of constant vigilance: “What am I eating?. How many carbs is this?. How much insulin am I taking?. What if my blood sugar gets low?. … What if I don’t have supplies?. Oh, my CGM just popped out. Oh, I’m bleeding.”.
For Haim, low blood sugar hasn’t just been stressful—it’s been dangerous. She recalled fainting mid-performance, and traced one episode back to the band’s 2013 debut at the Glastonbury Festival. Mid-set, her eyes began twitching, a symptom she said usually signals an impending seizure for her. “I leave the side of the stage because I feel like I’m going to pass out. and then I actually do pass out. And my sisters and my manager… start shaking me. They put fudge in my mouth, literally,” she said.
Haim explained that the incident happened because she skipped a simple step: eating before going on stage, even though she had already taken insulin. After the scare, she returned to the stage to finish the performance while seated.
Even as she shared those harsh realities, she also pointed to the way the condition has altered her emotional life. “It gave me empathy. Meeting other diabetics in the world has brought me community,” she said, adding that she remains hopeful a cure will be found.
Her honesty also reached beyond the stage. Haim has previously spoken about stigma in her personal life, including a moment she described in a 2025 interview with GQ. She said a former partner ended their relationship after learning there was a chance their future child could inherit the condition. Earlier, she had also said she was once dumped by a boyfriend because of her type 1 diabetes.
Haim’s understanding of the disease started young. She first suspected she had type 1 diabetes after learning about its symptoms in school. She sought medical help. got the diagnosis confirmed. and admitted that she’d already figured it out: “So I weirdly diagnosed myself beforehand. It was very crazy.”.
Across her story—from the “200 microdecisions” of daily management to fainting during a major festival debut—what comes through is the steady pressure of living with type 1 diabetes, and the way Haim has built resilience around it.
Este Haim Haim type 1 diabetes Tribeca Festival Storytellers Will Gluck Glastonbury Festival CGM autoimmune disease GQ interview
200 microdecisions?? That sounds exhausting just reading it.
I don’t get why people act like diabetes is “just” a diet thing. Like yeah sure carbs matter but the constant worrying and needles is insane. Also fainting mid-performance?? terrifying.
Wait, I thought type 1 was the one you get because you eat too much sugar?? So like if she can’t “celebrate” it… is that because she’s blaming herself or something? Not trying to be rude I’m just confused how it works.
This is why I always say my cousin with diabetes is a superhuman lol. The CGM popping out and her bleeding?? that’s wild. I mean I guess the mental part is the worst, not even the insulin part, because you’re always doing math in your head or checking stuff. Anyway good for her for talking about it, but I still feel like the article made it sound like every low is an emergency every time.