“The sign of a good leader is in how many leaders they create, not in how many followers they have.” Mahatma Gandhi.

LOD trains and expands a global network of “DiAdvocates” – patient advocates living with type 1 diabetes who share a common interest in helping to improve the quality of care for people with diabetes. DiAdvocates who have received the LOD Global Training or attended Connected Organisation training camps actively work to support local communities through schools, workplaces and hospitals, innovating practical techniques to make diabetes education more relatable and sharing their voices to make awareness and information about this condition empowering.

AFRICA:

Audrey Holm, Ghana

“It hasn’t been an easy diabetes-journey; yes, it is manageable but it can also be ugly & exhausting with high and low blood sugars. There are many challenges type 1s have to live with, but we can be anything a ‘normal’ person is and more! With the right management, I believe diabetes doesn’t have to stop us from reaching our goals #diabeteswontstopus

Emmanuel Kisembo, Uganda

“In my journey thus far I have met warriors (a.k.a. people living with T1D) across the East African region, from all walks of life, and so many, from measly backgrounds, that have managed to live positively with T1D. It is this community and interaction with such warriors that have given me the break I needed to transform my attitude and find the positive in my diagnosis.”

Eniola Araomi, Nigeria

“Although Type One Diabetes can slow us down, it should never stop us from achieving whatever goal we have set for ourselves. Don’t forget that we are much greater than our highs and lows!”

Fred Appiah Twum, Ghana

“In doing one thing constantly for so long people consider you an expert, but diabetes is different, complacency would undo all your years of hard work, or worse be the death of you. But no matter how bad you think you’ve got it, you are not alone. When the dust settles around us, you realise there is one option – to keep on fighting & surviving. Diabetes won’t stop us.”

Joseph Larsh Emmanuel, Ghana

Nurse. Yaa Bimpeh Amoah, Ghana

“There have been several ups and downs; it took me a while to finally accept the condition and now I can confidently say that I understand how my body functions and therefore look after myself well in order to better manage my diabetes.”

AMERICA:

Psychologist. Daniela Rojas, Costa Rica

“From experience, we need to help prevent people living with type one diabetes from feeling alone, afraid of their own body, anxious or depressed – I want to help people with diabetes to understand that although the process is not always easy, there is always a way to learn from their bodies and every experience – together with education, we can become stronger and comfortable in our own skin. I believe that you can not only live very healthy but also live very happy in life with diabetes.”

Dani Molina, Ecuador

“We can never give up. There are good and bad days and although there are many times that we get tired, we hate injections, medicines, carbohydrate counting and everything life with diabetes entails, we must always keep in mind that not all people could live with this and that being able to handle it every day makes us superheroes without a cloak.”

Dietitian. Paula Chinchilla, Costa Rica

“Living with type 1 diabetes has made me a person that wants to give peace, love and empowerment to others living with the same condition through education and my experience. For me diabetes is a lifestyle and it can become an opportunity to reach places and people you have never imagined. Fears and uncertainty could take place sometimes but if we ask for support and set our minds to win this challenge we can be stronger”

Dr. Lucas Fogarty, United States

“Diabetes is one of the most diverse and debilitating monster friends I’ve ever had. It makes me cry, feel vulnerable and empowered all at the same time. Without diabetes I wouldn’t know what to do with my life, with it I feel inspired to change to the world.”

ASIA & MIDDLE EAST:

Anum Anwar, Pakistan

“Challenges are backed by opportunities that’s how I take my diabetes as it gave me chance to see a new dimension of life.”

Dr. Apoorva Gomber, India

“Life wasn’t meant to be fair when diabetes came in but it has given me so much love, care, compassion, consistency and a reason to stay positive and fight against all everyday odds! I get up stronger everyday! Each day is new learning…”

Jyotsana Rangeen, India

Mohammad Al Bahar, Kuwait

“As a person diabetes has made me stronger, determined and understanding; by being open with it, diabetes has also given me the chance to connect with many people around the world that are living with the condition.”

Dr. Sana Ajmal, Pakistan

“All I had to hear was someone telling my father that he should not be spending money on my education (I was a brilliant student) as I would lose my eyes & kidneys, and would be eaten away by the ‘diabetes termite’ anyway. That was enough to light this passion of “showing it to the world” in my heart. I decided to follow an academic career to prove people wrong and to prove my own worth and standing. In pursuance of my determination, in 2016, I completed my PhD from a renowned university in Pakistan. I luckily found a nice guy who thought that I had more spark in me than my diabetes could possibly diminish, got married and have now got two boys. Another myth busted here. If you manage your levels well, you can live a healthy and fulfilling life.”

Talha Khan, Pakistan

“You need to be proactive in monitoring your sugar levels on a regular basis, taking your insulin on time, and to have that fire within: the belief that despite having diabetes, there is nothing you cannot achieve!”

EUROPE:

Gavin Griffiths, United Kingdom

“With type 1 diabetes you’ve gotta learn to keep your guard up and build confidence in your movements each day, which takes a lot of training and adjustment; nobody living with this can afford to let their guard down, as that’s when this condition shows itself as a ‘disease’ and catches you out with a hook, but from my experience, if ever you do get knocked down, you can always learn from it to come back up again stronger and find that champion within you.”

Ioan Gabriel Barsan, Romania

Psychologist. Katarzyna Gajewska, Poland

“I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes more than 30 years ago and diabetes has never stopped me from any type of challenge: from playing in the professional football team, through sailing, diving, conducting a PhD and having a baby. The key to maintain both – your life and your life with diabetes – is to make all diabetes related tasks part of your daily routine (like brushing your teeth) and try not to be a perfectionist. Just act and react quickly and control the controllables!”

Konstantina Boumaki, Greece

“Don’t ever be afraid to talk about your diabetes. A small step like sharing your story might make a huge difference in someone else’s life.”

Leonor Marchand, France

“I try to turn this fatality into an opportunity. I would never wish to anyone to have type one diabetes, some days it is just pain and frustration and it’s hard to accept it and it’s a 24/7 challenge and you never get days off from it. But, if you’re gonna be stuck with this condition anyway, you better try to see what good could come out of it. I’ve decided to try to turn it into an opportunity, an opportunity to be a better person, a reminder to live my life to the fullest, an opportunity to meet incredible people, to be inspired by them and to connect and share with them, and to build a better world together. I live beyond type 1 by sharing positive energy & by meeting incredible human beings in the t1d community. I let it shape a better version of myself.”

Simran Bal, United Kingdom