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
From Lebanon to Montreal: My Lived-Experience Journey at ISPAD 2025
From Lebanon to Montreal, Pedro Al Derjani’s journey to ISPAD 2025 is about much more than attending a conference. In this personal reflection, Pedro shares how living with type 1 diabetes, his growing role as an advocate and a memorable conversation with #dedoc° founder Bastian Hauck helped him see the connections between lived experience, policy and change. As a #dedoc° Voice at ISPAD, he discovered the power of community, international collaboration and having people with diabetes meaningfully involved in the conversations that shape their lives. He returned home with new connections, new perspectives and an even stronger commitment to Nothing About Us Without Us.
Paying It Forward: One #dedoc° Voice Driving Change
Lisa Gier shares how attending the 2024 ADA Scientific Sessions through #dedoc° inspired her to advocate for the implementation of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program at her local airport in Boise, Idaho. What began as a simple conversation became a powerful reminder that advocacy often starts with small actions and grows through persistence, community, and the courage to use one’s voice. Her story reflects the spirit of #PayItForward and the belief that lived experience belongs in every conversation shaping the future of diabetes and disability inclusion.