Brothers Mark Halonen (left) and Brett Halonen (right) are launching an app to make managing diabetes easier, and even fun. Image courtesy of Mark Halonen.

Mark Halonen was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes during his first semester at Michigan Tech. According to Halonen, diabetics live 10-20 years less than people without the condition. 

“This is not a statline I want applied to my life,” Halonen said. So, Mark and his brother, Brett Halonen, decided to do something about it. 

Their new app, called Enabled, launched Thursday. Mark Halonen explained that the mismanagement of blood sugar is what leads to the difference in life expectancy for diabetics.

He added, “All of our app’s users agree that a day of perfect management is possible. We just lack the discipline to cross our t’s and dot our i’s consistently over time.” The app is powered by Abbott’s Freestyle Libre, a continuous glucose monitor or ‘CGM’. 

Halonen claims many diabetics struggle with burnout from constantly having to monitor themselves, leading to an inconsistency in blood sugar management.

“The problem is simple, we need to try as hard as possible at managing diabetes all of the time. How do we do that if we are constantly getting burnt out … we don’t feel the repercussions right now, so what’s going to create that urgency to prioritize our blood sugar?” Halonen said. 

The app’s website further emphasizes the importance of regular management, saying, “It matters how well we perform with diabetes right now! Not just when you’re trying to survive long enough to witness your grandkids’ track meet.” 

This is where Enabled comes in. The app “gamifies diabetes,” and “made it fun to live longer.” Enabled creates competitions between diabetics using the app to see who can manage their blood sugar the best. Halonen claims the competition-style management will be extremely beneficial and provide “positive peer pressure” and “not feeling alone with the disease.” 

The app is designed to encourage peer-to-peer accountability, personal accountability and transfer of knowledge in the diabetic community. 

The brothers explain that they measure the “Time in Range,” which is when one’s blood sugar is within a certain range considered “acceptable.” For most, this is considered between 70 and 140. 

“When we diabetics mimic the blood sugar of a non-diabetic, we mimic the life expectancy of a non-diabetic,” Halonen said. 

Enabled gets its name from Mark Halonen’s personal experience of “ticking the ‘disabled’ box on countless job applications.” App users can earn a free month of the app for each additional user they refer, because Enabled is, “in the business of helping diabetics, and we reward those who do the same.” 

More information can be found at diabeticsenabled.com.