A conference for people with Type 1 Diabetes and organised by two Clare women, will take place on Saturday, 5th October, in The Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
The conference will include many speakers living with type 1 diabetes, opportunities to meet others with diabetes, and to find out about the latest technology in diabetes treatments. This event is organised by Thriveabetes, an organisation run by people living with type 1 diabetes. Advanced registration is required to attend. For more information, visit the website Thriveabetes. ie.
Thriveabetes aims to bring people with diabetes together to share experiences living with this lifelong chronic condition so that no person with diabetes feels alone! This is the seventh conference since its creation in 2015. The conference is open to adults and young adults living with Type 1 Diabetes, as well as parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes. The event also includes an exhibition with many of the companies that provide diabetes devices to the community, as well as some small diabetes businesses.
The conference was created by two people living with Type 1 Diabetes, Gráinne Flynn and Christine Meehan from Clare. Gráinne was diagnosed with diabetes at age 20, over thirty years ago. She created a diabetes support group in Clare in 2007 when she struggled to find the care and support she needed to help her manage her diabetes, where she first met Christine.
Christine was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in her 30s in 2006. She describes those first few years of trying to get to grips with it as often being “a daily struggle, juggling all the different elements that have an effect on my blood glucose levels, sometimes I felt so alone and frustrated”. People with Type 1 Diabetes make approximately 180 decisions about their diabetes management per day, making it a 24 hours a day, seven-days-a-week job with no time off – ever. Thriveabetes was created to offer somewhere people with diabetes could connect with others like them and, because of the unmet need, to discuss the psychological aspects of living with the condition.
This year’s conference will feature a diverse lineup of speakers living with Type 1 Diabetes, offering personal insights and strategies for managing diabetes, including keynote speakers Chris Bright and Dr Rose Stewart. Chris is the founder of the Diabetes Football Community and JDRF UK Community Partnerships Events Lead, who has lived with diabetes for almost 25 years. Dr Rose Stewart is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Diabetes Psychology Lead for Wales, Chair of the UK Diabetes Psychology Network and Author of the TalkingType1 book series: “Diabetes Burnout”, “Diabetes Distress and Burnout for Parents and Carers” and “How to Manage a Mammoth: A book for children and families living with Type 1 diabetes”. Some people may have seen her book read on BBC’s Cbeebies Bedtime Stories in June.
Additional speakers include:
- Ken Barclay, from the Dublin Adults with Type 1 Support group, Dublin,
- Former World Championship Kickboxer from Louth, Catherine Brady,
- Dr Cathy Breen, Registered Dietitian, DAFNE educator and Interim Dietetic Lead on the National Clinical Programme for Diabetes,
- Weronica Burkot, Polish Artist living in Belgium, Illustrator, and Content Creator who has been living with type 1 diabetes since 1995,
- Aisling O’Rourke, from Offaly, Communications & Media Coach, Broadcaster, living with Type 1 diabetes since 1989,
- Paula Short, from Galway, Psychotherapist, group facilitator and parent of a young adult with type 1 diabetes
Thriveabetes takes place on Saturday, 5th October, in The Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise, Co. Laois and includes an exhibition with many companies who provide diabetes devices to the community. Advanced registration is required to attend. For more information, contact info@Thriveabetes.ie or go to the Thriveabetes webpage: www.Thriveabetes.ie.