Diabetes Social Media Advocacy

Cherise ShockleyCherise Shockley of Diabetes Social Media Advocacy
Type 1.5 Diabetes (LADA), June 2004

“Twitter Chat/BlogTalk Radio: Simple questions, thought provoking responses, strengthening the Diabetes Community one tweet and episode at a time.”

Diabetes Social Media Advocacy

Diabetes Social Media Advocacy (DSMA) connects, support, and educates people living with Diabetes by encouraging open and meaningful discussion of current issues impacting Diabetes care through the use of social media and other platforms.

Diabetes Social Media Advocacy’s weekly twitter chat is every Wednesday at 9 PM EST. You can follow @DiabetesSocMed or the hash tag #dsma to participate.

Diabetes Social Media Advocacy is the Host of DSMA: Live Continuing the Conversation, a more in depth blog talk radio show focused on the questions from the twitter chat.  You can tune in or call in, Thursday at 9 PM EST.

Diabetes Social Media Advocacy

 

DiabetesMine

Amy TenderichAmy Tenderich of DiabetesMine
Type 1.5 Diabetes (LADA), May 2003

“Type 1 journalist, author & advocate with a quirky personality. Amy’s editor-in-chief of DiabetesMine.com, sometimes called ‘The NY Times of Diabetes.”

DiabetesMine

Amy Tenderich is a journalist / patient blogger who started DiabetesMine.com after her diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes in 2003. Her site has become a leading online destination for people with Diabetes and one of the top health blogs around the country and the world. In 2006, she won the LillyforLife Achievement Award for Diabetes journalism from Eli Lilly & Company.

She is the co-author, along with Dr. Richard Jackson of Joslin Diabetes Center, of Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes – a unique motivational guide to the 5 key medial tests that everyone with Diabetes should have and monitor regularly.

Amy is also community manager of DiabeticConnect.com, the fastest-growing and most successful social networking site for people with Diabetes, with 400,000 registered members to date.

She recently joined DiabeticConnect’s parent company Alliance Health Networks, creators of social networks for people living with chronic conditions, as VP of Patient Advocacy. She’s totally passionate about patient empowerment, and has become a well-known advocate for all people
with Diabetes and all engaged “e-patients” everywhere.

Amy lives on the fringes of San Francisco, CA, with her husband, three daughters, and a calico cat.

DiabetesMine

diaTribe

Kelly Close of diaTribeKelly Close of diaTribe
Type 1 Diabetes

“Research and product news for people with Diabetes.”

diaTribe

diaTribe® is an e-newsletter for people eager to learn more about better managing Diabetes. Here at diaTribe, we attend all the conferences, read all the reports and articles and cut through the clutter to give you up-to-date news and opinion on drugs, devices and treatments. Kelly Close is a passionate entrepreneur with extensive sales and financial experience. Proven track record in pharmaceutical/medical technology industries. Known for quickly establishing trust and credibility with wide variety of audiences ranging from millenial employees (hired and trained over 40 since 2002) to executive teams. Demonstrated ability to build  strong client relationships with a variety of healthcare executives.

diaTribe

Insulindependence

Insulindependence Group in Costa RicaPeter Nerothin of Insulindependence
Type 1 Diabetes, April 2001

“Insulindependence is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that inspires people with Diabetes to set personal fitness goals,  educates them on adaptive management strategies through hands-on experience,  and equips them to explore their individual capacities.”

Insulindependence

Estimated annual expenditures for Diabetes-related care are as high as $92 billion dollars in direct medical costs alone (CDC, 2008). This means that one in ten healthcare dollars spent in the U.S. can be attributed to Diabetes. With the rate of diagnosis increasing, this amount is expected to grow by more than $8 billion a year (ADA, 2008).

Insulindependence is addressing these issues and the quality of life of thousands of individuals by improving the health of the Diabetes community through its various recreation programs. Unlike any other organization of its kind, iD empowers people with Diabetes by surrounding them with peers and role models who share their condition, while teaching them the value of communication through positive and challenging experiences, and encouraging them to embrace self-management through active living.

Insulindependence changes lives by offering real-world experiences to help individuals with Diabetes overcome challenges and fears. Program participants gain enhanced self-images, fresh life-perspectives, enduring friendships, and deeper self-understandings that lead to improved self-management of their disease. Ultimately, this affords a higher quality of life to individuals and society as a whole.

Insulindependence

Naomi Kingery

Naomi Kingery of The Diabetic DivaNaomi Kingery of The Diabetic Diva
Type 1 Diabetes, September 2001

“The Sugar Free Series shares an honest outlook on emotions involved in living with Diabetes and empowers readers to embrace their bittersweet life.

The Diabetic Diva

 

At the age of twelve, Naomi Kingery was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes which changed her life in more ways than she could imagine. With a unique diagnosis in India, where she was living in India as a missionary kid at the time, Kingery saw very quickly how challenging Diabetes would be. In the hospital bed she gave herself the nickname “The Diabetic Diva” which was her way of accepting the new life she would begin to live. After the first few years of diagnosis she learned that Diabetes was not only a physical journey but one that was emotional, which led her to authoring  The Sugar Free Series. Her series currently consists of two books, Sugar Free Me and Sugar Free Teens, which speak about the emotions involved in choosing to cope with Diabetes every day. She now writes a weekly blog to echo the same messages she shared in her book, as well as a glimpse into her personal life as an Advocate in the diabetic community. As a Medtronic patient ambassador, board member of diabeticrockstar.com, and partner of organizations such as Juvenile Diabetes No Limits Foundation, Kingery uses old voice to spread hope to the hopeless. Her target audiences are those who are younger with Diabetes and the loved ones who support them. She often talks about her teen years with Diabetes, since she entered the teen years as a diabetic, and is very hopeful as she has survived and excelled during her teen years as a now twenty one year old. Kingery is passionate about learning all of the sweet, and bittersweet, challenges that Diabetes brings her way and will continue to share these lessons learned with all of those in the Diabetes Community. She attributes much of her success to those in the Diabetes Community as they have shown her that she is not alone, which is the primary reason she has chosen to begin to seek a more active role within the community to make this message even louder.

Our Diabetic Life

Meri SchuhmacherMeri Schuhmacher of Our Diabetic Life
Three Sons; Type 1 Diabetes, 2006 – 2009 – 2010

“Meri is mom to 4 boys, 3 who have Type 1 Diabetes. Muddling her way through with humor and hope, she wishes every family to know they are not alone.”

Our Diabetic Life

My husband and I have four boys, three who have Type 1 Diabetes. Our 13 year old son was diagnosed at 8 months old. Our 9 year old son was diagnosed at 5 years old, and our 7 year old son was diagnosed at 2 years old. I began my blog, Our Diabetic Life, about two years ago. It was my field of dreams…I truly believed if I could build it, they would come. Since then I have met hundreds of Mothers just like me, and many adults with Diabetes who inspire me every day.  The DOC has brought me joy beyond measure. The power of “same” is an amazing thing. Knowing our family is not alone in this battle has changed our life for the better. I hate to think of the families that battle alone. We are an army that is stronger together.

Our Diabetic Life

The Diabetes Resource

Gina CaponeGina Capone of The Diabetes Resource
Type 1 Diabetes, November 2000

“The Diabetes Resource is to be the largest and most in-depth global online directory for people with Diabetes and those who want to learn more about it.”

The Diabetes Resource

The Diabetes Resource is a comprehensive Diabetes directory covering every aspect of Diabetes, such as: medical professionals, Diabetes support groups, endocrinologists, blogs, camps, insurance resources, accessories as well as national Diabetes events, online monthly chats with experts and more.

The Diabetes Resource

The Girl’s Guide to Diabetes

Sysy MoralesSysy Morales of The Girl’s Guide to Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes, November 1994

“The Girl’s Guide to Diabetes seeks to empower women to live their best life with diabetes.”

The Girl’s Guide to Diabetes

The Girl’s Guide to Diabetes is written by Type 1 Diabetic, Sysy Morales with contributions from her Type 1 Diabetic sister, Ana Morales. Sysy is a wife, mother of twin toddlers, and a Diabetes Advocate and freelance writer. Ana is currently keeping busy as a second year studio art major at James Madison University. Their main goal is to help inspire and motivate others to take a proactive and empowered role in their Diabetes. They share their personal Diabetes journey, interview other diabetics, ask a lot of questions, and advocate on behalf of all people with Diabetes, especially women. They believe a positive attitude and a healthy emotional state are crucial to Diabetes management and they strive to speak openly about their experiences and highlight all of the wonderful things that can come out of a life lived with Diabetes.

The Princess and the Pump

Hallie & Avery AddingtonHallie Addington of The Princess and the Pump
Daughter; Type 1 Diabetes, April 2009

“I’m not a doctor. I just play one in real life. The Princess and The Pump is the story of how our family lives and loves with Type 1 Diabetes.”

The Princess and the Pump

On April 27, 2009, my then 3 year old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. And our lives changed forever. The Princess and The Pump is our story of how we are LIVING with Diabetes. I share all the emotions of being a parent AND a pancreas for our child. I share what works for us and what does not.  And I share my newest passion:  Advocating and educating about Type 1 Diabetes.

The Princess and the Pump

This is Caleb…

Lorraine SistoLorraine Sisto of This is Caleb…
Son; Type 1 Diabetes, January 2007

“Lorraine is the Mother of three children, the second of which, Caleb, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of three.”

This is Caleb…

Lorraine Sisto is the Mother of three children, the second of which is Caleb. Caleb has been living with Type 1 Diabetes since the age of three. Lorraine shares the stories of his life to increase awareness of the disease and to advocate for, support and be supported by others who are affected by it.

This is Caleb