Learn about what really matters to people living with diabetes around the world.
Insights, Stories & Perspectives
The #dedoc° blog features articles and opinion pieces written by our international network of diabetes advocates: the #dedoc° voices. From scientific conferences to the latest diabetes research and technology, from challenges faced by those living with diabetes to global disparities in healthcare, our #dedoc° voices cover it all.
Diabetes advocates wishing to contribute to the #dedoc° blog are welcome to submit a guest post using the link below.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch — we love to hear from you, and so do thousands of others!
All opinions are those of the authors.
Contact: blog@dedoc.org
#PayItForward-Building Diabetes Advocacy from the Ground Up
From finding comfort through the diabetes online community to speaking on international platforms, this powerful story reflects how lived experience, connection, and opportunity can spark meaningful local change.
Through the #dedoc° Voices network and scholarship program, South African advocate Lurina Fourie transformed global exposure into grassroots action: from school-based diabetes awareness and healthcare education to community screening initiatives and the creation of the Pay It Forward Diabetes Conference.
Rooted in the principles of #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs and #PayItForward, this is a story about advocacy, courage, community, and turning lived experience into lasting impact.
O.V.E.R.W.H.E.L.M.E.D!
Twenty-five years after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and feeling completely O.V.E.R.W.H.E.L.M.E.D!, this story reflects a journey from isolation to connection, from uncertainty to advocacy, and from tears of sadness to tears of joy.
Through the power of community, the diabetes online world, and opportunities provided through the #dedoc° scholarship program, one South African advocate discovered not only a global network of people who truly understood life with T1D, but also a passion for turning lived experience into action.
From attending international conferences to building local awareness initiatives and embracing the principle of #PayItForward, this is a story about finding belonging, purpose, and hope through community.
Technology, peer support and recognition: a crazy journey through ATTD 2025
A deeply personal reflection on living with type 1 diabetes across nearly four decades and across unequal realities. From a teenage diagnosis in Brazil to attending one of the world’s leading diabetes technology congresses through a #dedocº scholarship, this piece explores resilience, access gaps, advocacy, and the power of community. It is a story about frustration turned into action, about being seen and heard, and about why lived experience, peer support, and collective advocacy matter just as much as innovation itself.
Navigating hyperglycaemia avoidance and emotional wellbeing in type 1 diabetes
“I’ve always felt incredibly passionate about the mental and emotional aspects of our condition, having been through several — no scratch that — MANY periods of burnout and the associated bouts of depression,” writes Tony Fox, who attended DUKPC this year as a #dedoc° voice.
“This is something I feel we don’t talk about enough (even more in T1D men): mental health in general, and particularly health related aspects of our emotional wellbeing.“
After attending a session on hyperglycaemia avoidance, Tony had a lightbulb moment in relation to his own diabetes management and emotional wellbeing. Find out what Tony learned and how he’s adapted his diabetes management since in this personal and impactful read.
Diabetes in school: a fundamental human right
“When a child lives with diabetes, there are many aspects of life that change,” writes #dedoc° voice Alyssa Faulkner, “and that includes ensuring that their caretakers are equipped with the knowledge to adequately manage their diabetes. When you add in schooling, and the child’s right to an education, things start to get a lot more complex.”
“At ISPAD, Peter Goss shared a couple of cases where children have been let down so much by their schools in terms of care for their type 1 diabetes that they lost their lives. Two devastating case studies, two very preventable deaths in two very different parts of the world.”
The next step in patient involvement in diabetes conferences
“Including people with lived experience in diabetes conferences is no longer just a ‘nice to have’,” writes patient advocate and #dedoc° voice Emma Doble.
But what is the Patients Included charter? How can a conference become ‘Patients Included’? And why is the inclusion of people with lived experience so important?
Diabetes advocacy: a beginner’s guide to scientific conferences
Scientific conferences can be overwhelming — even for a seasoned diabetes advocate. #dedoc° voice Ana always wants to fit in as much as possible: attending every session she can, learning all about new developments in diabetes research and technology, networking, as well as catching up with friends old and new. Here she shares some tips and tricks to make scientific conference weeks a little less stressful!
Attending ATTD 2023 as a diabetes advocate
Diabetes advocate and #dedoc° voice Heather Koga attended ATTD 2023. Innovation in diabetes medicines and treatments, cutting-edge technologies, and research into the treatments of diabetes were among her highlights.
#dedoc° voices at ISPAD 2022: Caro’s experience
Diabetes advocate Caro attended ISPAD 2022 scientific conference as a #dedoc° voice. DIY hybrid closed loop systems, digitalisation in diabetes education and healthcare management, and mental health were among her highlights.