Thrive-abetes aims to provide delegates with "information, motivation and inspiration".

Why do I need Thrive-abetes to take place?

by Gráinne Flynn.

I have realised that I have asked others to write about why they want to attend Thrive-abetes but have not give my own version.

To rectify this here's my sales pitch (let's call a spade a spade:-)

I lived approximately seven years winging it with my type 1 diabetes - I wasn't trying to wing it. I just didn't have a clue what I was doing, or why!

As a result, these days, I crave knowledge about Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)! I know that no matter how much I already know about T1D, there is always more to learn. I also love to hear other people's diabetes stories.

My name is Grainne and my Type 1 Diabetes was diagnosed in 1993. When I stopped winging it with my diabetes management, I managed my Type 1 diabetes with multiple (sometimes up to 6 times) daily injections until 2010 when I started on an insulin pump.

I made that decision by reading other people's' reviews and all the research around how they work and why others were choosing them in large numbers in America. I realised then that one of the best sources of information about T1D management was other people's experiences and reputable websites.

Our healthcare professionals are wonderful but they're so busy taking care of patients day to day that they don't have the time to keep up to date with the latest research. That's why we, the people with type 1 diabetes have to make sure that we find all the information we need and take it to them.

How much information can you imagine would be contained in one room of one hundred people with diabetes at the Thrive-abetes conference?

And there will be a second room with another one hundred people! LOOOOOAAAAAADS!!!

Of course I want to be part of that!

Myself and some of my peeps from the Clare T1D group.

Thrive-abetes aims to provide delegates with "information, motivation and inspiration" to thrive with type 1 diabetes.

You can register for Thrive-abetes here.

Registration for Thrive-abetes is open!

Finally!! Registration for Thrive-abetes is open. 

However, before you buy your tickets for this conference, take a moment to read through "Who should attend Thrive-abetes?"

Who Should Attend Thrive-abetes?

The Thrive-abetes; Thrive with Type 1 Diabetes Conference is for:

- Adults living with Type 1 diabetes or Type 1.5 Diabetes, also known as LADA (Latent autoimmune diabetes of adults). 

- Partners, Spouses and Significant Others of Adults with type 1 and 1.5 are welcome to attend Thrive-abetes also. They should buy their ticket for the programme they wish to attend. 

- Parents or Guardians of a child or young person with type 1 diabetes.
It is with a heavy heart that we recommend that you to leave your child with diabetes at home, if you can. Please see this post for why we decided this.

Ticket Price.

Tickets for Thrive-abetes cost €35 each, or €60 for two tickets (this includes the administration fee from Eventbrite.ie) and can be purchased here. 

Another GREAT speaker for Thrive-abetes: Dr. Clare McVicker from JDRF

It is with great pleasure that we announce confirmation of the fifth speaker at the Thrive-abetes conference.

Dr. Clare McVicker is the Director of Research Advocacy, at the type 1 diabetes research charity, JDRF in the United Kingdom. JDRF is the world’s leading charitable funder of type 1 diabetes research and its vision is a world without type 1 diabetes.

Dr. McVicker works to increase and further strengthen type 1 diabetes research by raising awareness of the condition and the profile of JDRF in the wider UK research community.

The JDRF UK is partnered with Diabetes Ireland Research Alliance (DIRA), which is a subsidiary branch of Diabetes Ireland.

Clare said: “I am really pleased to be part of this fantastic event and to represent our successful DIRA/JDRF partnership.  We are at an exciting time for research into type 1 diabetes, with many recent advances and breakthroughs, and therefore, I look forward to highlighting many of these at the conference'.

She added: “The cure for type 1 diabetes will be found. It’s just a question of time, money, and great research. Finding this cure could act as a skeleton key – unlocking ways to prevent and cure a range of other autoimmune conditions.”

Welcome Dr. Clare! You can find out more about Dr. McVicker here.