Diamond had faced housing setbacks, disconnected phone service, and isolation — it took another Wider Circle member inviting her to an event to spark the change. She simply never stopped showing up.
In this edition of Stories from the Circle, meet Diamond: a Greenville, SC mother who went from battling isolated depression and unmanaged diabetes to becoming the one leading the way. Today, she is 120 pounds lighter, her A1c is in a healthy range, and she’s the one encouraging others to take that first step.
As Diamond puts it: “Wider Circle found me when I didn’t even realize how much I needed it.” We hope her story reminds you what’s possible when the right community shows up at the right time.
Diamond B.
“Just Keep Moving”: How Diamond Transformed Her Health—and Her Whole Family’s
Once struggling with housing and diabetes, Diamond found a community that changed everything—now she’s leading the way for others.
Diamond had been struggling in silence. After a housing setback forced her to move back in with her mother in Greenville, SC, she found herself stuck—isolated, eating poorly, and battling depression. Her Type 2 diabetes was unmanaged, and her weight made it hard to keep up with her two young boys.
Wider Circle had been trying to reach her for seven months, but her number had changed. Then, Diamond accidentally showed up at an ice-skating event with a friend, where she instantly connected with members over their A1c numbers and decided to join on the spot. Diamond didn’t just become a member; she dove right in, building accountability through regular check-ins with Lanita Williams, her Wider Circle Community Engagement Lead.
“I’ve learned how powerful community can be,” Diamond says. “Wider Circle found me when I didn’t even realize how much I needed it.”
She began making changes with her family—ending late-night eating and cutting out restaurant meals. She even challenged herself to take just 100 more steps than the day before. Since joining Wider Circle, Diamond has seen her A1c drop into a healthy range, and she has lost 120 pounds.
“Through Wider Circle, I’ve taken control of my health and even helped my family do the same. It’s truly been life-changing.”
The transformation rippled outward. Diamond encouraged her mother—who lives with the family—to see a nurse about leg swelling and breathing issues she’d been brushing off. Her mother got the medical attention she needed, and her health improved. “My favorite part about Wider Circle is the sense of family,” Diamond says. “It doesn’t feel transactional. It feels intentional.“
And Diamond kept changing, too. She’s more mobile now, active with her boys without the strain that once held her back. The depression that kept her inside has lifted. She’s more confident, more social, and recently started dating. “I’m feeling better about myself,” she says. As Lanita puts it: “She lights up a room.“
Today, Diamond is a Wider Circle Ambassador. She’s making her own doctor appointments—and at events, she asks others when they last made theirs. “She participates in everything,” Lanita says. Diamond helps plan the monthly calendar and joins virtual calls to share her story with new members. She encourages others to start small—cut the sweet tea, take 100 more steps. She has become the person who tells members what she needed to hear when she started.
“We just got to keep moving,” Diamond says. It’s her mantra—and now, it’s her community’s, too.
Thank you, Diamond, for sharing your journey and showing us what it looks like to keep moving forward. And thank you to our sponsors for helping make stories like Diamond’s possible every day.
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About the author: Jamie Zale
Wider Circle
