Breakthrough T1D TypeOneNation Summit – Arizona

Join us throughout the day for a fun walk-day themed celebration to get excited for the Breakthrough T1D One Walk by kickstarting your team with the help of staff and volunteers.

Keynote – April Blackwell, Aerospace Engineer and Diabetes Advocate
Mission: Diabetes Control
April ‘s mission is to push the limits of what it means to live with type 1 diabetes. For her, the journey is the destination. Along the way, she aims to educate outward and advocate upwards, literally to the stars.

As a five-year-old, April decided on a career of becoming an astronaut. However, a type 1 diabetes (T1D) diagnosis at age 11 presented a barrier – T1D is an automatic disqualification to become a NASA astronaut. Instead of giving up, she doubled down, learning Russian in high school, excelling in math, and attaining an Aerospace Engineering degree on a full-ride scholarship. In her aerospace career, April has flown more than 250 hours in experimental Army aircraft as a flight test engineer and passed qualifications in the Army Special Operations helicopter dunker program, altitude chamber, and parachute course — all of which normally preclude T1D participants. She also maintains her certification as an International Space Station Attitude Determination and Control Officer and periodically works shifts in mission control, “flying” the ISS from the ground! These days, you can find April leading teams of engineers working to return humans to the surface of the moon.

April hasn’t given up on her ultimate dream of becoming an astronaut, but she has added an extra challenge – to be the first person living with T1D in space! She is passionate about sharing her experiences to inspire and mentor fellow T1Ds to push boundaries in pursuit of their dreams. Ad astra per aspera!

Adaptability for Exercise: T1D Tech, Fuel and Management – Ocotillo
Ben Blanco, PK Steffen, Rachel Shubitz, & Sofie Schunk
Learn how to optimize your fueling, technology usage, and insulin for exercise. We will discuss everything from a walk in the park to training for an Olympic marathon.

Talking About Diabetes: Ways to Improve Communication for Parents – Brittlebush
Jennifer Averyt, Ph.D.
Communicating about diabetes can be challenging for family members and lead to tension in relationships with children and adolescents. This session will provide an overview of simple tools for parents to improve communication about the management of type 1 diabetes.

Women’s Health and Diabetes in Pregnancy – Cottonwood
Bithika Thompson, MD, Karrie Francois, MD, and Brittany Smith
Discuss health issues that affect women with type 1 diabetes such as glucose variability over the course of the menstrual cycle and menopause, perinatal risks of diabetes management in pregnancy and review approaches for diabetes management in pregnancy.

Teen Track: Let’s Talk T1D, Let’s Talk About You and Me – Desert Star
Rachel Calendo and Hana Karaman
No Parents, No Judgement, No Guilt… open discussion about real-life teen topics related to life with T1D.

Encuentro para personas de habla hispana – Chia
Janiel Pimentel, MD, Lety Carvajal, Martha A. Cuevas, Mary Christensen, and Sandra Chmelnik
Esta sesión interactiva ofrecerá una perspectiva tanto profesional como personal sobre el manejo y el tratamiento de la diabetes tipo 1, tanto para padres como para individuos. Su oportunidad de aprender y hacer preguntas de un panel de expertos y pares en diabetes tipo 1.

Beep or Buzz? Human Factors in the Cockpit vs. Diabetes Devices – Cottonwood
April Blackwell
How often do you think about how diabetes data is delivered to you? What works and what could be better? Buckle your seatbelt and put your tray table up as we take off into the world of human factors! We will even design our own ideal diabetes device and compare settings with fellow diabetes captains!

Improving Quality of Life in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes – Brittlebush
Jennifer Averyt, Ph.D.
This session will provide an interactive introduction to two strategies from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help individuals with type 1 diabetes clarify values and take steps towards improving quality of life. These techniques can help individuals decrease diabetes burnout and help to increase confidence in making lifestyle changes.

Pediatric “Ask the Experts” Panel – Ocotillo
Joel A. Hahnke, MD, Oliver Oatman, DO, and Corinne Ciuris
In this open forum our panel will address participant questions related to pediatric diabetes care

Teen Track: Finding Your Place: Embracing Type 1 Diabetes as a Teen and Turning it into an Advantage – Desert Star
Sofie Schunk
Let’s be honest; having type 1 as a teenager is tough when you just want to fit in, go to school events, play sports, participate in school clubs, and not think about injections, glucose levels, ‘can I eat that’, physical appearance, etc. However, having type 1 also gives you an advantage that you might not realize at the time. Let’s discuss real challenges and how to use them to your advantage in this teen track!

Encuentro para personas de habla hispana – Chia
Janiel Pimentel, MD, Lety Carvajal, Martha A. Cuevas, Mary Christensen, and Sandra Chmelnik
Esta sesión interactiva ofrecerá una perspectiva tanto profesional como personal sobre el manejo y el tratamiento de la diabetes tipo 1, tanto para padres como para individuos. Su oportunidad de aprender y hacer preguntas de un panel de expertos y pares en diabetes tipo 1.

Progress for All: The Impact of Breakthrough T1D Research on You and Your Family
Susan Van Dyke, MD
A research update highlighting some of the most exciting recent advancements. You don’t have to be a scientist to know what is happening in the world of T1D research and how it impacts you and your family. Learn what Breakthrough T1D is doing to identify cures and make day to day life with T1D easier PhD not required!

Unleashing the Champion Within: Trust, Belief, Risk, and Balance on the Road to Olympic Trials as a T1D
Sofie Schunk
Sofie will discuss her journey of qualifying for the Olympic Marathon Trials as the third ever type 1 to do so, and a bit about her ‘unconventional’ training, as well as the many highs and lows of balancing diabetes, a full-time job, coaching, training, and maintaining a personal life. Sometimes, you surprise yourself and can accomplish your wildest dreams with a bit of extra trust, risk, dedication, and an incredible support team!