Young Hankinson inventor creates tool to help manage diabetes

Hudson Grohnke, a sixth grader from Hankinson, built a small device called the Bolus Buddy that could make daily diabetes care a little easier for families across rural North Dakota. Designed with a 3D printer, the tool holds a syringe and insulin vial together so users are less likely to drop the vial or poke themselves while drawing insulin.

Grohnke’s project began as a school marketplace idea and was later refined into a practical aid for insulin extraction. The goal was simple: create something that keeps the vial and syringe aligned, steady and easier to handle during a routine that many people repeat every day. In a state where long drives to appointments and weather can complicate even basic errands, a small fix like that can matter.

The need is real. The American Diabetes Association says about 57,300 adults in North Dakota, or 8.9% of the adult population, have diagnosed diabetes. The group also estimates that about 3,000 adults in the state are diagnosed each year. That puts Grohnke’s invention in a larger context than a classroom project, especially for families in farm towns and small communities who manage a chronic disease far from major medical hubs.

Hankinson Public School has built a science-fair culture around projects like Grohnke’s. Students begin work in August under the guidance of coaches Patty Kratcha and Bria Eisen, then meet weekly through the year while balancing schedules and drawing support from local businesses and community members. The school said 10 projects and 11 students represented Hankinson at the 2025 North Dakota State Science Fair.

That kind of steady, community-backed student work has already produced multiple state qualifiers and even International Science and Engineering Fair presenters from Hankinson. Grohnke’s Bolus Buddy fits that pattern: a young inventor noticing a real problem and using school science to build something useful for everyday life in North Dakota. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says diabetes data are tracked at the national, state and county levels through the U.S. Diabetes Surveillance System, a reminder that this is a public health issue measured close to home as well as statewide.