TypeOneNation Summit Speakers for Session 1
Our morning break-out sessions have something for everyone. Here is a sneak peak at the speakers who will be leading those sessions:
T1D Champions: All Day. Every Day.
David Corsaro has been a professional magician for over 26 years and will be moderating our T1D Champions panel. You can catch David almost every Monday night at “Monday Night Magic”, New York City’s longest running off-Broadway magic show or at “Speakeasy Magick”, one of New York’s hottest new shows. David has been involved with Breakthrough T1D since 2011 when his then one-year-old son Matthew was diagnosed with T1D. Since then, David has performed magic at dozens of fundraisers and events, and his family team (Miracle for Matthew) has raised tens of thousands of dollars for research.
Sam DiGaetano is a member of our Young Leadership Committee and is an independent financial planner and adviser. Sam was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 11 years old and has utilized multiple types of treatments to manage his blood sugar, while remaining independent, healthy and happy along the way. He is currently an Outreach volunteer, where he shares his experiences to support other adults living with T1D. Sam also has three dogs and volunteers at a rescue in Georgia that has strong ties to his hometown in Pennington.
Brielle Downes is also a member of our Young Leadership Committee and has lived with T1D since the age of 9. For many years, she struggled with checking her blood sugars, eating right and taking insulin, rebelling against her T1D before finally finding a way to take the best care of herself. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kean University with her Bachelor of Arts in Therapeutic Recreation and is working as a Recreation Therapist and Director of Recreation in a skilled-nursing and sub-acute rehabilitation. She speaks at high schools and universities to share the hardships she faced in her youth, and how she overcame T1D’s obstacles to live a full and happy life.
Joe McHale is currently a marketing professional and has been living with T1D for forty-two years. He is a former Division 1 College and professional football player and believes you need to “aggressively manage this disease and not let it manage you”. His wife, Lauren, also has T1D and one of their three children, Joseph, developed T1D while in college in 2018. His family believes in the importance of a healthy lifestyle and embraces athletics and other activities as a key strategy to staying healthy.
Kerri Sparling has been living with type 1 diabetes since 1986, diagnosed at the age of seven. She manages her diabetes and lives her life by the mantra “Diabetes doesn’t define me, but it helps explain me.” She is an internationally recognized diabetes advocate. She is the creator and author of Six Until Me which from May 2005 to May 2019 was one of the most widely-read diabetes patient blogs, reaching a global audience of patients, caregivers, and industry. Kerri’s participation is part of Tandem Diabetes Care’s Live Life in Full Color speaker series.
Psychosocial Guidance: Because Diabetes Stinks
Dr. Ryo Maruyama is a licensed clinical psychologist who resides in New Jersey. He completed his Masters of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Fordham University in 2014. He is the lead psychologist for the Chronic Illness Management Program, the Spinal Cord Injury Unit, and the General Rehabilitation Unit at Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick. His areas of clinical specialty include chronic illness (diabetes), depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, pre-teen, adolescent, and young adult transitions, developmental disabilities (autism, intellectual delays), physical disabilities (cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries), behavioral issues, and Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Dr. Jessica Middleberg, PsyD is an Inpatient Pediatric Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow at Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Jersey. She completed her Masters of Science and Doctor of Psychology at William James College in 2019. Dr. Middleberg’s areas of clinical interest include chronic illness (diabetes), chronic pain, anxiety disorders (Selective mutism), attachment, and intergenerational trauma, and she seeks to provide treatment from a biopsychosocial perspective.
Intro to Technology
Kristin Sabanosh, APN, CDE is the Clinical Coordinator of the Pediatric Endocrinology Department at Morristown Medical Center. Kristin graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2000 with her BSN. She then worked for Boston Children’s Hospital as a Staff level II nurse on the medical floor and intermediate care unit. It was there that she started teaching families/children newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Her husband then brought her career to NJ and in 2012 she accepted a position at Goryeb Children’s Hospital, and in 2016 she was promoted to the Clinical Coordinator. She has been educating for over 20 years on Diabetes management and is actively trying to help her practice and patients keep up with the changing technology. Currently her office is actively working on a Telehealth program.
What’s On Your Plate?
Laura Vetter, RDN, CDE, CSP is an Outpatient Dietician at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick and has over 24 years’ experience promoting health and nutrition education through focused consultations, community outreach, social media and news outlets. She is a passionate professional dedicated to improving nutrition knowledge and long-term health of people to all age groups.
Teen Talk: Taking T1D to College
Julie Burkett, Hanna Anolik and Victoria Godino are all members of the College Diabetes Network at The College of New Jersey.
Julie is a senior and has grown up around T1D, as her father was diagnosed in 1991, followed by her own diagnosis in 2010. Julie has been involved with Breakthrough T1D for years, attending walks, research summits and Galas whenever possible. Additionally, she has grown her leadership skills through involvement with the College Diabetes Network during her four years at TCNJ.
Hannah is a senior and has been living with T1D for 15 years. Her Breakthrough T1D walk team, Hannah’s Bananas, was her first look into the T1D community. She has since attended the 2011 Children’s Congress and is currently the Executive Director of Penpals United, an organization that works to connect and educate people with T1D in resource poor areas worldwide via culturally relevant web and app-based tools.
Victoria is a sophomore majoring in Special Education and Psychology, as well as minoring in Deaf Studies. She was diagnosed almost ten years ago on August 30th, 2010. Throughout these years she has participated in Winthrop diabetes teen groups where she had the opportunity to meet other teens with T1D. She is excited to be the new president of The College Diabetes Network at The College of New Jersey, where she will show her passion for spreading awareness of Type One diabetes to the TCNJ community, as well as continue to support her peers that have diabetes or have a connection to someone with diabetes.
Himesh Lad is the Co-Chair of Events of our Young Leadership Committee and is currently Senior Research Analyst at Corbin Capital Partners. Himesh has been a resident of Northern New Jersey for 5 years since going to school and currently resides in Jersey City. Himesh has been an avid volunteer in the Breakthrough T1D Central PA chapter as a teenager helping around the office and volunteering at events. Himesh has been living with T1D for 11 years. He currently works for an investment firm in Midtown Manhattan as a research analyst (and happy to network with any fellow young diabetics interested in the industry). In his free time, Himesh is an avid runner, occasional home chef, and beer nerd.
