Our first 2016 TypeOneNation Summit was held on November 5th last year and the event was a wonderful success! This educational symposium began with a research update by Esther Latres, JDRF Associate Director of Encapsulation and Beta Cell Therapies. She spoke about the mission of JDRF and detailed the current progress being made in Artificial Pancreas research, the development of Encapsulation methods and efforts to ensure patients are achieving their A1C goals through Glucose Control.

After the research update, the attendees headed off to their breakout session of choice. We had a wide range of speakers and topics that included something for everyone: T1D in School; T1D on the Field; Adults with T1D: at home, work and play; and Diabetes Burnout to name just a few. Our speakers were all experts when it comes to diabetes, whether as a healthcare provider, as a person living with T1D or as a caregiver of a person living with T1D.

While adults were attending breakout sessions, kids and teens were having a ball downstairs at programs designed specifically for them. Kids from 5 to 12 enjoyed carnival games, a craft corner and quiet corner to read a book or watch a movie. Caitlin McHenry, Personal Trainer and T1D Adult, joined the group for a fitness session before lunch and right after lunch Kris Freeman, Olympic Skier and T1D Adult, stopped in to talk about his Olympic career and how he manages his T1D. His appearance was made possible by Dexcom. Tears were shed by only one child who thought her dad came to pick her up early when he was just stopping by to see if she was doing okay.

Teens had the opportunity to connect with each other and learn about various aspects of research and technology. Esther Latres joined them to answer their questions about the latest research and the teens put their heads together to design insulin pumps and apps for managing diabetes data. After lunch, they joined the kids for Kris Freeman’s talk and then were treated to a Chronically Healthy Demo with Emily Davis. Emily is a Certified Health Coach and Holistic Nutritionist and has had T1D since she was a child.

Throughout the event, our vendor fair was open and busy with attendees stopping by to visit the many companies that joined us for the day. They included our National Premier Sponsors: Dexcom, Lilly and Novo Nordisk; our Platinum Sponsors: Entergy and MannKind; our Silver Sponsors: Medtronic, Tandem, Stamford Health and Western Connecticut Health Network. In addition, we also had representatives from Animas, Insulet, and Roche. Several organizations, healthcare providers, and diabetes support companies also exhibited: Westchester Medical Center, CareMount Medical, Fitscript, Chronically Healthy, the Barton Center, Camp Setebaid, Riding on Insulin, Diabetic Dabs, Night Scout, Bandi and Tally Gear.

Our day wound down just as wonderfully as it began with another great presentation. Kerri Sparling, Writer, Author and T1D Adult, spoke eloquently about her life with T1D: as a child, young adult and now mother of 2 beautiful children. Kerri is a passionate advocate for all-things diabetes. Her blog, Six Until Me, is a testament to her uncanny ability to face any challenge with humor and intelligence. As one attendee said, “she was fantastic and it was great to end the day with her light touch”. Kerri’s appearance was made possible by Tandem.

We extend our thanks to all our sponsors, speakers, volunteers, vendors and attendees for making our first TypeOneNation Summit a successful and memorable event. Please save the date for our next TypeOneNation Summit on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at the Ethan Allen Hotel in Danbury CT.