Ireland

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Thriveabetes 2018 Going for your Dreams with Diabetes Panel

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It has been a number of weeks since I published a post but now I’m back on task until mid December. The time is passing so quickly that it’s hard to believe once we all get over Christmas Thriveabetes will only be around the corner. Advance registration is required to attend Thriveabetes and you can register here.

I’m doing a series of posts that will feature some elements of the conference the team has put together. This is the second, the first highlighting what is in store for an adult living with type 1 diabetes which you can read here.

This post features one particular element of our Programme for children aged five to teens and I’m really excited about it. The “Going for your Dreams with Diabetes” panel comprised of successful adults with type 1 diabetes. The panel includes;

Naomi Clarke Owner and Creator of The Style Fairy

Naomi was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 15. She is married and has one, happy and healthy daughter. She is a qualified fashion stylist and is the owner and creator of the award winning blog, The Style Fairy. Having spent 2 years working in the fashion industry in Sydney and Singapore, Naomi moved back to Dublin to set up her own business in 2013 and so began The Style Fairy.

As well as a Business degree from Trinity College, Dublin, Naomi has a diploma in Fashion Buying & Merchandising coupled with a Diploma in Professional Styling for TV & Film. She writes about affordable, attainable, real life fashion and beauty as well as showcasing her personal style in her ‘Outfit Diaries’ segment, which is one of the most popular elements of her blog.

You can Follow Naomi on: Web: thestylefairy.ie Twitter: @TheStyleFairy1 Facebook: @thestylefairy Snapchat username: thestylefairy

 

Kate Gajewska, Diabetes Educator, Psychologist

Before she moved to Ireland, Kate had worked for many years as a diabetes educator, psychoeducator and insulin pumps certified trainer in one of the biggest pediatric diabetes Centres in Warsaw, Poland. Her project ‘Edu-Diabetes’ aimed to educate people in all age groups on how to live well with diabetes.

Kate has been living with type 1 diabetes for over 30 years. She is a also a psychologist and currently a Doctorate candidate at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She is conducting a study looking at the access to insulin pump therapy in Ireland.

She is a member of Diabetes Ireland, the Adult Type 1 Diabetes Support Group in Dublin, and a member of the International Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes. She engages in a lot of initiatives aiming to improve the quality of life of people with type 1 diabetes, she is also a proud Thriveabetes supporter.

In her free time she likes to run, sail, dive and travel and spend time with her 1 year old daughter, her husband and two pets.

Follow Kate on Twitter @gajewska_kate

 

Kevin Nolan Dublin Senior County Gaelic footballer, Teacher

Kevin Nolan is a former Gaelic footballer for Dublin Senior team and continues to play for Kilmacud Crokes. He played on the team when they won the 2011 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship for the first time in sixteen years. Kevin was named the man of the match in that game.

Four days after experiencing the euphoria of Dublin winning the 2011 All Ireland Final, he was diagnosed Coeliac disease. Three months after that, in December, he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. After weeks of sitting out training he did finally get back out with the team and played to another victory in 2013. He no longer plays at Senior level and is a teacher based in Lucan.

You can read more about Kevin's journey with diabetes;

Follow Kevin on Twitter @KevinNolan7

 

 

James O’Reilly Trainee Solicitor, Cyclist

James was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in October 2006. He is from Kilkenny but currently living in Cork. He started cycling In the summer of 2011, while on holiday in the U.S. In 2013, he started taking part in some local charity cycles.

However based on medical advice he was only doing rides of up to two hours in duration. It was only out of curiosity that he did a google search for “professional athletes with type 1 diabetes” that he realized he could go beyond. He started following the NovoNordisk Team Type 1 professional cycling team and broke through that barrier.

In 2015, James was featured in an Irish Times article because he took part in the 2015 mHealth Grand Tour which involved a 1,500km cycle with 20,000 metres of climbing over 10 days with 26 riders, all with type 1 diabetes. And in 2016, he took part in Team Novo Nordisk’s Development Camp. James wrote a blog post for Thriveabetes just before he went off on this trip. You can read it here.

Follow James on: Facebook James O'Reilly Instagram james.f.oreilly Twitter @semajoreilly

 

I think you will agree that these four individuals will inspire and motivate everybody who attends Thriveabetes 2018.

Thriveabetes 2018 takes place on Saturday 24th February in Dublin. Thriveabetes; The Thrive with Type 1 Diabetes Conference is a one-day conference for all people living with type 1 diabetes. This Type 1 Diabetes conference focuses on the psychological impact of living with a chronic, lifelong condition. We aim to provide “Inspiration, Motivation and Information” to all people living with type 1 diabetes (adults, parents & children). Advance registration is required and you can find out more about our amazing event here.

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Thriveabetes 2018 Registration Now Open

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It's finally here! I don't know whether to take a deep breath or to release the relief that we are getting there. Registration link is below. The team and I would like to say that we are really proud of the programme we have put together this year. We feel that you will be pleased and we have taken on board all the feedback we received from you over the years.

Thriveabetes is a conference organised completely by people with type 1 diabetes and focuses on the psychological impact of living with a chronic, lifelong condition. We aim to provide “Inspiration, Motivation and Information” to all people living with type 1 diabetes (adults, parents & children over age 5 years). It's going to be a great day:-D

Saturday, February 24th 2018, The Red Cow Hotel, Naas Road, Dublin.

First, you will notice that our Registration fee has increased significantly. Thriveabetes 2016 didn't break even financially. We did have some funds left over from 2015 to cover the shortfall. This year’s registration fee reflects this but does cover a hot lunch and refreshments valued at €25.

Additional Conference Information;

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Sunrise Foundation Diabetes Project

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A few of you will have come across a FaceBook post in the Diabetes in Ireland Private Group from Debbie Davis who helps the Sunrise Foundation collect up unused and unneeded diabetes supplies such as old redundant glucose meters and test strips which are then send to underprivileged families with diabetes in Africa. I wanted to find out a little more about the Sunrise Foundation and the work that they do, so Debbie very kindly put me in touch with Matilda Chongwa the CEO. Matilda has written this week’s blog post about her foundation.

SUNRISE FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL IRELAND.

What is the Sunrise Foundation?

My name is Matilda Chongwa. I am the CEO of Sunrise Foundation. 31 years ago, my mum was diagnosed with diabetes in Cameroon in a little village called Bali Nyonga in the North West Region of Cameroon. My siblings and I were all very young and did not know what diabetes was all about and the only thing we were told by my dad was that my mum was going to die because she was suffering from a sickness that she has to be on medication throughout her life. She was very ill and helpless in the hospital. She lost a lot of weight and she spent a whole year in the hospital. When she came out of the hospital she was always on medication and even now her life is all centred around medication and insulin.

With this in my mind, I was always thinking of ways to help my mum and others in the same situation. My mum was the first to be diagnosed with diabetes in the family and some of my aunties and uncles who were diagnosed after my mum died because they could not afford medication. Diabetes medication in Cameroon is very expensive and a lot of people cannot afford and they died on regular basis.

 

THE WORK OF THE SUNRISE FOUNDATION

When I came to Ireland I thought it was the right time for me to create awareness and support people with diabetes in Ireland and most especially in Africa where a lot of them are dying. The worse is that parent who cannot afford medication turn to invest on their health with the little they have and the children cannot afford education. Most children from families with diabetes cannot afford education so one of the things we do at Sunrise Foundation is education sponsorship for children from extremely poor families with diabetes in Africa.

What we have achieved so far:

  • We have successfully organised so many diabetes awareness events in Ireland. Where we get Irish medical doctors to talk about diabetes
  • We donated €1,000 to Diabetes Ireland.
  • We donated €400 to Diabetes Mater private.
  • We have also celebrated World Diabetes Day in Ireland with a Fashion show {Fashion Against Diabetes}
  • We have taken Irish Diabetes Consultants, doctors, and Sunrise volunteers to Africa for free screening and awareness on Diabetes and High Blood Pressure
  • We have been featured on TV and newspapers in Ireland and Africa because of our work with the Sunrise Foundation.
  • We have won 4 recognition awards from creating health awareness in Ireland and Africa.
  • The CEO/Founder Matilda Chongwa was recognised last year in Germany As an African Living Legend for Diaspora Engagement International, through the African Living Legend Awards. All thanks to Sunrise Foundation Diabetes project.

 

NEXT TRIP TO AFRICA

Our Next trip to Africa is in November and that is why Debbie Davies is collecting, medication, insulin, test trips and glucometers. I met Debbie Davies in 2015 with her daughter Caitlin Davis who had type 1 diabetes. She used to come to Diabetes awareness events organised by Sunrise Foundation and shared her life story about living with type 1 Diabetes and unfortunately, she died last year. She is greatly missed by The Sunrise Foundation Team and those she motivated with her stories and advice on how to live with Diabetes.

After her death, her lovely mother Debbie Davis decided to keep the relationship with Sunrise Foundation by organising collection of diabetes medication for Sunrise Foundation Diabetes project in Africa. We were in Nigeria in May for 12 days and all the collection were donated to St Mary's Hospital in Isolo, Nigeria. This donation was done in the presence of Dr Richard Firth who is a Diabetes Consultant in Mater Private who was the head doctor with us in Nigeria.

If you have items to donate to our next trip to Africa please contact Debbie via email davdebbie@gmail.com or Phone 085 2880489.

UPCOMING EVENT ORGANISED BY SUNRISE FOUNDATION VOLUNTEERS

We are organising the World Diabetes Fashion Show on the 4th of November at the Hilton hotel, Dublin Airport on the Malahide road.

This event is organised by the Sunrise Foundation in partnership with the Diabetes Centre Mater Private Hospital. We would like to invite you all to come and share the day with other people with diabetes who will be sharing their stories and celebrating the World Diabetes Day. We are also looking for volunteers to travel with the team or who want to share their life story to help others.

Sunrise Foundation Contact Details: