{"id":19121,"date":"2011-08-24T09:03:44","date_gmt":"2011-08-24T13:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=19121"},"modified":"2016-01-06T05:10:33","modified_gmt":"2016-01-06T10:10:33","slug":"friends-for-life-talking-to-children-with-diabetes-founder-jeff-hitchcock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=19121","title":{"rendered":"Friends For Life: Talking to Children With Diabetes Founder Jeff Hitchcock"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>This year’s Children With Diabetes Friends For Life conference<\/a> was the organization’s 12th annual get-together in Orlando, Florida.\u00a0 It drew hundreds of families, adults and children with diabetes, doctors, experts, and even celebrities with diabetes like singer Crystal Bowersox.<\/p>\n

I’ve read many blog posts about how wonderful the conference was, and I’m not surprised. But I am jealous.\u00a0 I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1995 at the age of nine.\u00a0 Growing up, I did my best to ignore diabetes and resisted all attempts by my parents and doctors to introduce me to other people with diabetes.\u00a0 So I have never been to FFL, and do not know first-hand about the “magical feeling of belonging” that prevails at the conference.<\/p>\n

Now, older and wiser, I would love to go, especially since Children With Diabetes<\/a> has made a strong effort to recognize and serve all the Now-Adults With Diabetes. Next year, I hope I can attend in person.\u00a0 Until then, I will have to settle for living vicariously through the behind-the-scenes stories that Jeff Hitchcock, founder of Children With Diabetes and Parent-of-a-Diabetic Extraordinaire, was so kind to share with us in this interview.<\/p>\n

When and why did you start Children With Diabetes? How long before you were putting together conferences?<\/strong><\/em>
\nI started CWD in June 1995 to help my daughter Marissa meet other kids with type 1 diabetes and to share the experiences my wife Brenda and I had in raising a child with type 1 diabetes. Back then, there were very few web sites related to diabetes, and CWD was the first to focus on parents and kids.<\/p>\n

\"Jeff<\/a>
Jeff Hitchcock & Laura Billetdeaux<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In late 1999, Laura Billetdeaux, a mom who used CWD\u2019s parents support mailing list, sent a note to that list asking who would like to join her for a vacation in Orlando in June 2000. In very short order, lots of people said they would come, and in June of 2000, 110 families \u2013 550 people \u2013 met in Orlando for the very first CWD event. Laura took charge of asking families what they wanted for our next event, and that became the basis for our Friends for Life conferences. Today, Laura is CWD\u2019s Vice President for Education and Programming and runs all CWD events.<\/p>\n

What’s the goal of the CWD Friends For Life conference?<\/strong><\/em>
\nOur goal for Friends for Life is to offer families who attend a chance to meet others like themselves, to share their experiences and learn what works, to learn about diabetes care strategies and the latest research from the best clinicians and researchers, and to have an amazing time.
\nFamilies attending CWD\u2019s FFL come for many reasons. This year we ran a survey after Friends for Life, and when asked about why they came, families responded:<\/p>\n