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.
Towards Better: Reflections from an International Diabetes Conference
Reflecting on ISPAD’s 51st Annual Meeting through the lens of lived experience, this piece explores the growing role of advocacy, collaboration, and technology in shaping the future of diabetes care. Writing from Aotearoa, New Zealand, Sandra Braithwaite shares her journey from parent to advocate following her son’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis, and reflects on the importance of building bridges between communities, clinicians, researchers, and people living with diabetes. Through themes of connection, AI, and collective responsibility, the article is a thoughtful reminder that meaningful progress happens when lived experience is not added later, but included from the very beginning.