My name is Gina, my daughter Arianna was diagnosed with T1D 11 years ago when she was 11 years old. We attended our first Community Summit, hosted by Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) the year after her diagnosis. I cannot speak more highly of this event! The Summit is a free, educational and networking event for anyone who is impacted by T1D. My favorite parts of the Summit are the vendor fair and the breakout sessions.

The vendor fair provides an opportunity to talk directly to pump and CGM manufacturers, T1D coaches, health care providers, pharmaceutical representatives, and more! There are always lots of small businesses with creative solutions to practical problems, typically inspired by their own struggles with living with T1D. We learned how to get our other daughter, Nicole, screened for T1D, and about camps for children with T1D that can give parents a welcome break while providing a safe environment for your child to be a kid.

The breakout sessions are amazing and there are many to choose from. The first year we attended sessions on carb counting, T1D at school, and exercise & T1D. When my daughter went to college, we attended a session on taking diabetes to college/workplace, which was invaluable. All these sessions and more will be at this year’s Community Summit! There are also youth and teen programs that are a wonderful way for children and teens to meet others their age with T1D.

At Summit, I also learned how I can make a difference by getting involved in advocacy, fundraising, or just engaging more with the T1D community. This is where Arianna learned about the Youth Ambassador program where she met other children with T1D, which led to her participation in Government Day in Washington, DC, which led me to become an active volunteer, chairing the Community Outreach and Summit committees.

I love the Community Summit – it truly is a COMMUNITY!  You are surrounded by so many people who are directly affected by T1D. You realize you are not alone, and there is a wonderful T1D Community here for support.

Whether newly diagnosed or a seasoned veteran there are always new things to learn and opportunities to share at the Summit! (And did I mention it is completely free!) We hope to see you at the Summit!

Written by Gina Fortunato-Gehan. Gina serves as a chapter Board Member , Outreach Ambassador Chair, Community Summit Chair and Advocate.