On Saturday, April 24, Breakthrough T1D will host the Breakthrough T1D TypeOneNation (TON) Virtual Summit: Living without Limits.
The interactive event is for people of all ages and stages of living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and their loved ones. It promises to be jam-packed with education and interactive experiences.
It costs nothing to attend and you can register right now!
A detailed schedule is in the works (including some under wraps sessions featuring Breakthrough T1D Celebrity Ambassadors) but here’s a sneak peek at what you can expect:
- Four research sessions highlighting current advancements in Cures, Improving Lives and Clinical Trials
- More than a dozen breakout sessions addressing timely topics, including COVID-19 vaccines, technology, nutrition and wellbeing, mental health, health equity, teens and T1D, and aging with T1D
- Two sessions hosted in Spanish: one about COVID-19 vaccines and the other about mental health
- T1D product showcases highlighting the latest innovation in technology and management
- And a NEW feature: the opportunity to connect with your local communities through special, chapter-hosted celebrations at the close of the program.
“Worth Every Second of Your Saturday to Attend”
The April 24th TON Virtual Summit follows in the footsteps of JDRF’s successful inaugural TON Virtual Summit held last fall, for which nearly 3,700 people registered.
It was a first-of-its-kind approach for TON Summits as previously, they were in-person events. And those events received rave reviews too: one participant said, “It’s absolutely worth every second of your Saturday to attend.”
Feedback to the first TON Virtual Summit showed that it measured up to its in-person predecessors. TON Virtual Summit participants were enthusiastic about the entire event, but especially so for sessions appealing to adults with T1D, parents of newly diagnosed children, and teens.
But don’t take our word for it. Below, read up on what participants from the first TON Virtual Summit had to say about it.
Adults with T1D
Chris Stiehl, California: “I have had type 1 diabetes for 61 years and I am 71 years old. I found the ‘senior’ track most interesting and helpful at the Summit in September. I have been a Joslin 50-year Medalist for a long time now. I have visited them [the Joslin Center for Diabetes] in Boston several times. They have data that indicate the odds of living as long as I have, given when I was diagnosed (April, 1960), were 10,000 to one! I learned very interesting things about long life and type one diabetes, such as the idea that even though people who live with T1D for five decades or more do show some signs of cognitive decline, they rarely are diagnosed with classic Alzheimer’s Disease. Such long-term survivors also tend to have fewer broken hips when they fall than people of the same age in the general population. They also are very positive people, with a great outlook on life.”
Brian Somers, New Jersey: “While all of the sessions provided useful information, the one I found most valuable was ‘Beyond the Numbers: 5 Shifts for Optimal T1D Control.’ The presenter discussed the awareness of areas often overlooked in traditional T1D management—namely mental and emotional care—which help contribute to tightened blood sugar control. This information and the information included in other sessions has proven to be very helpful in maintaining control over my T1D.”
Parents of T1D Children
Julianna Burton, California: “My daughter is 9 years old and was diagnosed in Aug 2020. I found the stories about the people living their best lives with T1D the most inspiring part of the event, and I personally enjoyed the ‘new advances’ section. I was able to learn about the new ‘pancreas’ that they are making down in San Diego and hear about some of the drugs they have coming out to stop the cell death for those with early diagnoses.”
Kim McCoy, New Jersey: “I was so impressed with the virtual TypeOneNation Summit held last fall—I honestly felt like we were at an in-person event. I found the ‘New Onset T1D: From Firehose to Faucet’ workshop very informative. As a T1D parent, hearing valuable tips from a Pediatric Endocrinologist who is a T1D herself, provided me with an immense amount of insight and comfort that I have not found elsewhere.”
Endocrinologist and Past Summit Speaker (Also Lives with T1D)
Jennifer McVean, M.D., University of Minnesota Medical School: “To me, the beauty of Breakthrough T1D and TypeOneNation Summit is the sense of community, encouragement, education and inspiration they provide. When facing T1D, I believe educating yourself about how to live successfully with the disease is really important. It was a joy and a privilege for me to participate in Breakthrough T1D’s first Virtual TypeOneNation Summit and share my personal and professional journey with T1D to help our global T1D village thrive!”
