TWO Clare people living with Type One Diabetes have organised the seventh annual Thriveabetes Conference in the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise, which runs from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, October 5th.
Thriveabetes has hosted six national conferences, which have been attended by 250 people at each one. It involves nine volunteers from seven counties, including Christine Meehan and Gráinne Flynn, Ennis, who are the founders of Thriveabetes.
Gráinne was diagnosed with diabetes at age 20, more than thirty years ago. She created a diabetes support group in Clare in 2007 when I struggled to find the care and support I needed to help me manage my diabetes. This is where Gráinne first met Christine.
Christine was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in her 30s in 2006. She describes those first few years of trying to get to grips with it as often being “a daily struggle, juggling all the different elements that have an affect on my blood glucose levels sometimes I felt so alone and frustrated”.
People with Type 1 Diabetes make approximately 180 decisions about their diabetes management per day, making it a 24 hours a day, seven-days-a-week job with no time off – ever.
Thriveabetes was created to offer somewhere people with diabetes could connect with others like them and, because of the unmet need, to discuss the psychological aspects of living with the condition.
It aims to bring people with diabetes together to connect with others, share experiences, and feel supported in their journey.
The conference will include many speakers living with type 1 diabetes, opportunities to meet others with diabetes, and to find out about the latest technology in diabetes treatments.
The event also includes an exhibition with many of the companies that provide diabetes devices to the community, as well as some small diabetes businesses.
It will also feature two world-renowned speakers from the United Kingdom, Chris Bright, founder of the Diabetes Football Community and Dr Rose Stewart, Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Diabetes Psychology Lead for Wales and Chair of the UK Diabetes Psychology Network.
Dr Stewart also Authored the TalkingType1 book series: “Diabetes Burnout” and “How to Manage a Mammoth: A book for children and families living with Type 1 diabetes”. Some people may have seen her book read on BBC’s Cbeebies Bedtime Stories in June, read by actor James Norton.
Additional speakers include Ken Barclay, from the Dublin Adults with Type 1 Support group, Dublin, former World Championship Kickboxer from Louth, Catherine Brady, Dr Cathy Breen, Registered Dietitian, DAFNE educator and Interim Dietetic Lead on the National Clinical Programme for Diabetes, Weronica Burkot, Polish Artist living in Belgium, Illustrator, and Content Creator who has been living with type 1 diabetes since 1995, Aisling O’Rourke, from Offaly, Communications and Media Coach, Broadcaster, living with Type 1 diabetes since 1989, and Paula Short, from Galway, Psychotherapist, group facilitator and parent of a young adult with type 1 diabetes
Advanced registration is required to attend. For more information, contact info@Thriveabetes.ie or go to the Thriveabetes webpage: www.Thriveabetes.ie.
Dan Danaher
East Clare correspondent, Dan Danaher is a journalism graduate of Rathmines and UL. He has won numerous awards for special investigations on health, justice, environment, and reports on news, agriculture, disability, mental health and community.