By Wendy Rose
The title couldn’t have been more fitting. For many reasons, “Transforming Lives: Diabetes Today and Tomorrow” was a conference experience I’ll never forget. For starters, I was invited to help coordinate a breakout session that would focus on the Diabetes Online Community (DOC). This meant I had the opportunity to listen and observe via a series of conference calls as Bill Woods, Cherise Shockley, and Manny Hernandez (pictured below in that order) collaborated to create their presentation. It also meant I would have the opportunity to meet them — IN. REAL. LIFE! Not only that, but Mr. Mike Lawson lives across town, and he came to hang out too! (You do know Mike, right? Doesn’t EVERYONE know Mike? If you don’t know Mike, then get to know his Mirror Mantras, and plan to be inspired.)I KNOW! MY TRIBE!!!!! Could it be any more amazing?
Well, YES, actually.Because not only did I have the chance to hang out with these virtual-turned-real friends of mine, but Breakthrough T1D brought in an ALL STAR line up to round out the entire event. Check this out:










Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet is an international network of researchers who are exploring ways to prevent, delay and reverse the progression of type 1 diabetes.
{Sidenote: Our entire family participated in TrialNet, and I’d encourage anyone reading this with a T1 family connection to consider doing so as well.}Transforming Lives: Diabetes Today and Tomorrow was an incredible outreach event for this community. I cannot express enough how honored I am to have such an amazing Breakthrough T1D staff in our corner as we wage the war against Type 1 Diabetes. From my view behind the scenes, I can attest to the dedication, hard work, and personal sacrifice made on behalf of the amazing team known as the Breakthrough T1D Desert Southwest Chapter. Not only did these people invest their time and talents to bring this venue to Phoenix, but many of their loved ones and family members played a crucial role throughout the process as well. Whether running countless errands during the planning phase, picking up/dropping off speakers at the airport, or loading and unloading supplies before dawn, there were many people who provided immeasurable support. They helped to keep things running smoothly from beginning to end, and EVERYONE did a fantastic job.My hat goes off to the teamwork I witnessed throughout the planning and execution of this amazing conference. I hope we have the opportunity to bring a venue such as Transforming Lives to Phoenix again. This is Part 1 of a 3 part series. Stay tuned as I share my notes from the presentations I attended up next, followed by my closing thoughts and personal impressions. Follow Wendy at www.candyheartsblog.com