Danielle and Joe Shealy met at Clemson, lived in Florida and Arkansas, and came back to the Carolinas in 2018. The cover story is the decade since their daughter Samantha's type 1 diabetes diagnosis, and what the family has done with it.
After living in several parts of the country, Danielle and Joe Shealy found their way back to the Carolinas in 2018. Today the Clemson graduates are settled at Firethorne, where golf, tennis, community involvement and family time fill their days.
Both are originally from Greenville, South Carolina. They met at Clemson University in 2001 and married shortly after graduation. They bought their first home in Greenville and welcomed their two oldest children there. A job-related move took them to Tampa, Florida, where their youngest was born. After five years in Florida and five years in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Shealys were ready to come home.
Eight years into life in Firethorne, they say they appreciate the community, the schools and the proximity to the mountains, the lakes and the coast. Eventually, they hope to retire in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
"We love our friends and support system here," the Shealys say.
Turning a diagnosis into action
Life changed for the Shealys in 2016, when Samantha was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. There was no family history of the disease. The diagnosis brought many questions and required an entirely new approach to daily life.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks the pancreas's insulin-producing cells. It can affect anyone, and it is not caused by diet or lifestyle. Samantha's doctors believe a virus may have triggered the autoimmune response behind her diagnosis.
Over the past decade, the Shealys have watched remarkable advances in the technology used to manage the disease. They have also used their experience to support other families and the search for better treatments and a cure.
Danielle volunteers with Breakthrough T1D, the type 1 diabetes research nonprofit, and serves on its gala fundraising committee. The family has raised more than $50,000 for type 1 diabetes research. Samantha served as a Breakthrough T1D youth ambassador for eight years, increasing awareness and helping raise research funds.
This past year, by the family's account, the organization's 25th gala at The Revelry at Camp North End welcomed more than 700 guests and raised over $2.14 million.
Samantha is now a college sophomore. Her family remains committed to the research and to a future without the disease. For more information, visit breakthrought1d.org and choose the Charlotte and Western NC chapter.
Three children, three directions
Samantha, 19, is a sophomore at NC State University. Brooks, a senior at Marvin Ridge High School, works at the YMCA, plays golf at Firethorne and plays club basketball. A member of the Young Men's Service League, he also volunteers in the community. Harper, a Marvin Ridge sophomore, is a cheerleader, a member of the varsity game day competition team and a varsity lacrosse player. She also loves to babysit in the neighborhood.
Joe recently celebrated 20 years with The Wine Group, where he is general manager of its East Region. Danielle, a former elementary school assistant principal in Greenville, later had the opportunity to stay home and raise the children.
Danielle captains several tennis teams at Country Club of the Carolinas. Joe is an avid golfer and coaches basketball through the Wesley Chapel-Weddington Athletic Association. The family enjoys golf, tennis, the beach, the lake and time with their dogs, and Danielle loves to cook.
Boxers hold a special place in the household. The family currently has two of the energetic, athletic dogs, Berkeley and Roxy. Berkeley was named after Danielle's Clemson apartment complex. The dogs' playful personalities keep everyone busy and laughing.
Travel is another shared passion. Favorite family trips include Costa Rica and Hawaii, and a recent active vacation in Whistler, Canada, brought beautiful scenery and bear sightings. Danielle and Joe especially enjoyed Florence and Tuscany, and they love exploring wine regions around the world. The trip they are planning next is Greece, to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
Wherever they have lived, Clemson football has remained a family tradition. Even from Florida and Arkansas, they traveled to several Tigers games each season.
To recommend a family to be featured, please email Delia at ballantyne@strollmag.com.
This story appears in the October 2026 issue of Stroll Firethorne. Read the full edition here.