Alexandra Park Gushes Over How 'Amazing' Husband James Lafferty Checks on Her Amid Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis: 'Lucky to Have Him'

Now that Alexandra Park has her type 1 diabetes diagnosis under control, she's grateful for the support she's received in the past few years from her loved ones, including her husband, James Lafferty, whom she married in 2022.

"James and I got together a couple of years after I was diagnosed, so I was still in this wobbly phase of diabetes for sure. There are definitely a lot of memories and images of us sitting in the streets of London [while filming the TV show The Royals] of just him hanging out with me while I ate gummy bears with low blood sugar. He really learned alongside me — from the very beginning until now. Being the partner of someone with type 1 diabetes, it's huge for them, as well an an enormous worry for him. It's as much about him as it is about me," the actress, 34, who is partnering with Medtronic Diabetes to shed light on the mental health impacts so many type 1 diabetics deal with silently, and to help others learn more about advanced technologies that can help make life with diabetes easier, exclusively tells OK!.

"I leave the house, and it's like I'm a 10-year-old girl. He'll be like, 'Have you got your glucose? Have you checked your pumps are all on?' He's constantly checking up on me, and the MiniMed™ 780G insulin pump system has this amazing feature where James can be alerted if anything is going on," she continues of the amazing device. "I get alerts and he does too. There was one time I had no reception and I was just at the dog park in Hollywood, and he didn't know where I was. He then sent his brother and someone else to search for me, but I was fine. But he's amazing. He's learned so much about it, and he's constantly researching."

The One Tree Hill alum, 38, even knew about the MiniMed™ 780G insulin pump system before Park did since he's always searching around for new technology and developments. "He was very supportive when I told him I was thinking about transitioning to an insulin pump," she says. "About a month after I was on this pump, he said, 'The amount of time we talk about your diabetes has decreased by 90 percent because it's not as much of an issue.' We're a real team, and I'm very, very lucky to have him. He knows a lot, and his diet has improved tremendously since living with me, so that's good. We're a solid team in all aspects of life, and I'm lucky to have him."

After not feeling great and later getting diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, Park has come to terms with the chronic illness and now hopes to help others who may be going through something similar.

"It felt empowering to write about my journey, and I feel proud of myself because it's connected me to these incredible organizations that I learned about along the way, with Medtronic Diabetes being one of them," she shares. "Being hit with a curveball like this can make you stronger, and it can add to your character. I just hope that by sharing my story, it will encourage others to do the same and that nobody's dream should be put on hold because of type 1 diabetes. I am sleeping through the night — that would give anyone a new lease on life."

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