“I thought my world was crashing down on me,” Idol fan fave Elliott Yamin told CGG in our exclusive interview. Elliott remembers when he was 16 and diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes: “It had me down in the dumps for a long time. I had a real struggle with accepting the fact that I had this incurable disease.” Type 1 or Juvenile Diabetes affects as many as 3 million Americans (and yes, it’s the kind CGG sweetheart, Nick Jonas has too).

Clearly Elliott didn’t let it keep him down too long, rising to the top to place third on the fifth season of American Idol, and releasing four albums to date. His most recent, Fight For Love, just dropped May 5th.

This Idol hottie admits that “it took years” to accept his life with diabetes, and it was no easy feat given that he grew up “in a single parent home when my mom was working all the time to put clothes on our back and food on the table.”

Elliott’s advice to other kids struggling with the disease? “Stay focused…I was a knucklehead at that age. I didn’t want to burden people, but you have to let people help you and understand that life goes on.”

We’ll say: Life went on to worldwide fame in Elliott’s case, but he still hasn’t forgotten kids like him. “I love meeting young diabetics. It’s really cool just to show them that anything is possible,” Elliot told us, “I’m living with diabetes and taking care of myself.”

Music was one thing that helped Elliott overcome his struggles and reach people on a scale he never dreamed of. “It’s amazing how far music can take one person,” he gushed to CGG, “I’ve got this platform and it’s all through music, it’s all through my voice.”

Elliott doesn’t just use his platform to dole out advice to young diabetics, he actively works to improve the lives of people living with diabetes, teaming up with orgs like American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), and speaking at events like the Children’s Congress with JDRF to lobby for more funding for the disease and all diabetes research.

Elliott hopes to keep working to raise awareness and is thinking of possibly teaming up with other celebs working in the diabetes arena (um, Elliott and Nick Jonas duet anyone!?)

With his new album, upcoming tour in Asia with his American Idol buds, and his drive to keep paying it forward, CGG can’t wait to see what Elliott’s up to next.