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Natalie Bellini, RN, CDE, has had Type 1 diabetes since she was a young child. Within a year of finishing nursing school, she started to care for people with diabetes, focusing first on diabetes in pregnancy then pediatrics and insulin requiring adults. She has worked on the medical side of camps for children and teens in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. She has spoken nationally and internationally as an expert in both working with teens and their parents with diabetes as well as infusion set choice, usage and maintenance. Her fundamental goal when developing the teenage curriculum for Children with Diabetes conferences is that each and every teen that attends finds a passion in life and pursues it. She is currently attending Drexel University part time in order to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Natalie is a senior territory manager with Animas Corporation and mom to her own teen, Erin, who is now a junior in college. |
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Dr Fiona Campbell is a consultant paediatrician and diabetologist at St James's University Hospital, Leeds. Her research interests are in paediatric diabetes with a particular interest in the use of insulin pumps. She started the paediatric pump programme in Leeds in October 2002 and 90 children currently attending the paediatric diabetes service use a pump to control their blood glucose levels. Dr Campbell has been involved in many local, national and international diabetes research studies and has recently been awarded a grant from Diabetes UK for a multi-centre, randomised, controlled trial to look at the incidence of hypoglycaemia in children using continuous glucose monitoring on pumps versus multiple daily injections. She is an Insulin Pump Association steering group member and has been on the DoH Insulin Pump Working Group which published its report in 2007. She was also the Diabetes UK nominated clinical expert at the TA 57 NICE guidelines review of pump therapy. |
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Dr Jenny Cropper is a Clinical Psychologist, working with the Paediatric Diabetes Teams at St Thomas' and King's College Hospitals, in London. She qualified from the University of Surrey in 2005. Jenny has worked with children and young people with diabetes for five years in different locations and has a particular focus on working with families who utilise or are considering insulin pump therapy to manage diabetes. Her particular area of interest is around quantifying and improving quality of life outcomes for children and young people with diabetes. |
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A teacher with an honours degree in English Literature, Jacqui Double enjoys working with all ages of children through Theatre-in-Education; she also has worked with children as an English teacher at secondary level. She has two children, her youngest son Tom diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at aged 18 months old in 2000 and her eldest son Joe aged 8 years old in 2005. Happily her sons are now both using Medtronic pumps with CGM and she claims that her family is far more sane! Jacqui sits on several groups and working parties pertaining to National Diabetes Care. She also presents talks about pumping and about coping with diabetes, and is active in her local area promoting better care at school for children with long term medical conditions. She is married to Olly, a university lecturer, and enjoys living by the sea in Kent. |
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Oliver Double is a senior lecturer in drama at the University of Kent, but in a former life he was a professional comedian. His sons Joe and Tom both have type 1 diabetes, and in 2006 this inspired him to write and perform a solo stand-up show, Saint Pancreas, which is now available on DVD ('A tender and uplifting monologue that's surprisingly funny.' Guardian. 'Funny, charming, touching.' Arthur Smith, Balance). He has just started writing a regular column for Diabetes UK's Linkup magazine, in spite of being, by comparison with his wife Jacqui, slightly rubbish at dealing with diabetes. |
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Ashley Head is a CWD dad on both sides of the Atlantic – at Friends for Life Orlando and Friends for Life UK! Ash has been a Trade Show Professional for the last 29 years, specializing in international event logistics; he has coordinated shows all over the world. Ash is also the Chair of the Challenge Events Committee for the JDRF UK. He is married to Shayne, and dad to 13 year old Phoebe who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2001. He is also dad to Jake, age 20. |
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Jeff Hitchcock is the creator, editor, webmaster and president of Children with Diabetes. After earning a degree in computational mathematics in 1981, Jeff worked in high tech and traveled the world, meeting Brenda, who would become his wife, in Africa. He worked in defense related industries until 1995, when he started a small Internet company and launched Children with Diabetes. He subsequently worked at LEXIS-NEXIS and Pearson plc on Internet initiatives, and now works full time bringing Children with Diabetes to you. |
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Jackie Jacombs became involved in the CWD parents mailing list in the United States shortly after her daughter Sasha was diagnosed with diabetes in 1999. There was no equivalent support mailing list or website in the UK, so Jackie asked CWD Founder Jeff Hitchcock if he would set up a mailing list for UK families. Jackie now manages that list. This was the start of a strong on-line community in the UK and many hours on the computer each day. Jackie is also involved in working with INPUT, a patient led organization raising awareness of Insulin Pump therapy in the UK. Three years ago she organised a patient-led UK advocacy group for families of children with diabetes. The advocacy group has been working with JDRF, INPUT, and Diabetes UK to raise awareness of the need for support in schools for children with type 1 diabetes and to help families who are trying to get insulin pumps. Jackie has twin 15 year old daughters, both of whom have coeliac. Sasha has type 1 diabetes and has been a pumper since 2004. Jackie is also a lay member of the Science and Research Advisory Group for Diabetes UK. |
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Lauren Lanning, mom of Monica, 16, dx 8/96, pumping 5/99, CGM 9/05, and Sarah, 13 ... her CWD "sig line." Lauren became involved with CWD shortly after her daughter was diagnosed in 1996. She has been involved in the CWD diabetes conferences since the very first gathering in Orlando in 2000, where she volunteered to make name badges. Lauren now coordinates the Elementary Programming for every CWD conference. Back home in Denver, she is on the boards of the JDRF and CWD Foundation. She and her husband Steve have chaired and coached her local JDRF Ride team for many years. Lauren has worked as an elementary school computer teacher and now works at an investment banking firm as a researcher. |
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Rosalind Oakey was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1995. She started pumping in 2006 and using CGMS in 2007. Inspired by the difference the pump has made to her own life, she volunteers with INPUT (a patient-led group) to raise awareness of and improve access to insulin pump therapy in the UK. |
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Gary Scheiner, MS, CDE is a Certified Diabetes Educator and Exercise Physiologist who has had type 1 diabetes for 25 years. He owns and operates Integrated Diabetes Services, a private practice located just outside of Philadelphia specializing in intensive insulin therapy for children and adults with Type-1 diabetes. He and his staff of diabetes educators provide consultations throughout the world via phone and internet. Gary earned a BA from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Master of Science from Benedictine University. He received his diabetes training with the Joslin Diabetes Center. In addition to serving on the Children With Diabetes faculty, Gary serves on the Board of Directors for the Diabetes Exercise & Sports Association and is an active volunteer for the ADA, JDRF and Setebaid Diabetes Camps. Gary has written four books and dozens of articles on various topics in intensive diabetes management. He has received several awards for his teaching tools and techniques, and speaks regularly at regional, national and international conferences. A husband, father of four and avid sports fan, Gary has been a pump user since 1994, and a CGM and Symlin user since 2006. |
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Mike Schurig, MS, RD, LD, CDE, serves as Conferences and Content Manager for Children With Diabetes. As a diabetes educator, registered dietitian and person with type 1 diabetes since the age of 12, Mike has had extensive experience in diabetes education with kids and parents. Mike is active with local ADA activities, regional diabetes educator groups, and the CWD website. His interests are insulin pump education and technical advances in diabetes. Mike enjoys visiting the nearby theme parks and enjoying Central Florida. |
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Joe Solowiejczyk, RN, MSW, was President of InBalance Healthcare, a counseling and education service for health care professionals and adults and children with diabetes, for over 10 years. He currently works for LifeScan, as Manager of Diabetes Counseling & Training and is a faculty member of the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute. Joe is healthcare professional who has lived with Type 1 diabetes for over 49 years, Mr. Solowiejczyk has been able to translate his personal experience into patient care. As a diabetes nurse educator and family therapist, he specializes in assessing how family dynamics impact management of diabetes and designing interventions that result in more effective coping and optimal metabolic control. |
Teen Programming Staff
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Nikki Allen, age 25, was diagnosed with MODY diabetes 10 years ago. Graduating as a nurse in 2007, she was keen to get involved with others with diabetes. She has been working as an inpatient nurse with adults with diabetes and is about to take up her first post as a Diabetes Specialist Nurse. Nikki has a particular interest in sports, particularly football. Friends for Life: UK 2010 will be her first CWD conference and she is looking forward to working with the teen group. |
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Natalie Bellini, RN, CDE, has had Type 1 diabetes since she was a young child. Within a year of finishing nursing school, she started to care for people with diabetes, focusing first on diabetes in pregnancy then pediatrics and insulin requiring adults. She has worked on the medical side of camps for children and teens in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. She has spoken nationally and internationally as an expert in both working with teens and their parents with diabetes as well as infusion set choice, usage and maintenance. Her fundamental goal when developing the teenage curriculum for Children with Diabetes conferences is that each and every teen that attends finds a passion in life and pursues it. She is currently attending Drexel University part time in order to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Natalie is a senior territory manager with Animas Corporation and mom to her own teen, Erin, who is now a junior in college. |
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Neal Billetdeaux, from Michigan, has learned to be a diabetes advocate from kids Carolyn and Sam. His most frequent complaint to wife, Laura, is that he doesn't have enough vacation time to make it to all the CWD conferences! Neal is a principal in a landscape architecture firm in Ann Arbor. His CWD 'claim to fame' is that - in a sleep-deprived stupor one night - he awoke to his alarm at 2 a.m. and tried to test one of the yellow labs. He's a great dad with a great sense of humor! |
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Michael Byers is 25 and currently lives and works in Edinburgh. He's had type 1 diabetes for 10 years 11 years, and this will be his first CWD event. A keen sportsman, Michael has played competitive sports all his life and is always up for a challenge. Earlier this year he cycled from London to Paris to raise money for JDRF and is running in the Berlin Marathon this September for the same charity. Now with 10 years of experience having type 1 diabetes, Michael is looking forward to helping the next generation at this year's Friends for Life UK conference. |
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Deborah Glassborow will be celebrating the start of her third decade of living with diabetes in 2010. She has been using an insulin pump since 2002 and felt so inspired by her positive personal experiences that she wanted to spread the word. Initially employed by Disetronic, Deborah has worked with Animas since 2005 where she has helped establish the business in the UK. In her spare time Deborah is a keen traveller and has always been determined that diabetes wasn't going to get in the way of living, so embarked on a solo trip across Africa whilst on injections. She likes to take to the hills to walk whenever possible, loves music and literature and has recently made steps to follow her childhood dream of studying falconry. |
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Jim Vail was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 19 while he was a sophomore at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Jim graduated with a degree in Media Communications and was a producer for CNBC Business news in Washington, D.C., for nine years all the while wrestling with the unpredictability of NPH and Regular insulin. After finally going on a pump in October of 2001 and 'getting his life back,' Jim pursued Animas Corporation, the maker of his insulin pump, for a job and a chance to reach others with diabetes. Jim made the jump from CNBC and has been with Animas Corporation since April 2002. |
Tween Programming Staff
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Carolyn Billetdeaux graduated from college with a degree in international business and Spanish. She is older sister to Sam, who has had diabetes for almost twelve years. Carolyn presents type 1 diabetes as a family disease: it affects everyone. She was a founding member of IDYA and founded the Supplies branch of the Children with Diabetes Foundation in 2003. She loves traveling and meeting other CWD families. |
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Paul Cheverton had such a great time at last year's CWD Conference and is delighted to have the opportunity to come back and help out again this year. Paul has a longstanding history of type 1 diabetes in his family and has spent the last three years working for Animas UK & Ireland supporting other families with insulin pumps. He enjoys sports and games of all kinds and can't wait to meet up with everyone at the 2010 conference. |
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Melissa Ringley, R.N., C.D.E., became a registered nurse in 1991. Shortly afterward, Elizabeth, her 3 year old daughter, was diagnosed with diabetes. It became abundantly clear to Melissa that she should learn all she could to help her daughter maintain a healthy and happy life with diabetes. Melissa has dedicated her entire career to diabetes since that moment. She brings her own personal experience to CWD families and understands the many stages of development and how diabetes impacts both the patient and family. Melissa's previous career as a certified diabetes educator has included a variety of settings including diabetes education centers, multi-physician practices, and hospitals. Melissa's expertise is in insulin pump therapy in children. She has been working with Animas Corporation since 2001. At Animas, she has worked both nationally and internationally as a clinical manager and she is now a Territory Manager in Tennessee. Her daughter is now a junior in college. |
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Adam Town, BSN, RN, graduated from the University of Cincinnati's nursing program in 2009. Adam enjoys working with all children and is interested in pediatric nursing. He lives in Tampa and works at Tampa General Hospital. Adam enjoys sports of all kinds with a particular interest in baseball. Adam has a family history of diabetes but does not have diabetes himself. |
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Vicky Wilde is Mum to Jack aged 8 (dx age 17 months) and Thomas aged 6 (dx age 5). Both boys manage their diabetes using an insulin pump. Type 1 diabetes is prevalent in Vicky's family. Her husband, brother and sister-in-law all have type 1, so she has had quite a lot of diabetes experience. Vicky enjoys helping out in class at her children's school, and she is a Home start volunteer. Vicky participated in her first Friends for Life UK conference last year in Windsor, and she is looking forward to working with the tween group this October! |
Elementary Programming Staff
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Laura Bailey's first experience with CWD was volunteering in Sports Central at Friends for Life UK last summer – and she was hooked! Laura, who has a family history of type 1 diabetes, has been involved in research and in fund-raising for the past decade. She performed diabetes research as part of her Master's Degree in Biomedical Engineering in 2003, and continued that work in her professional career. She also volunteers with Diabetes UK and raises funds for diabetes research. Her interests include playing the trombone, singing, and sculpting polymer clay. She is looking forward to working with the children at the 2010 UK conference! |
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Martyn Carr, now 22, lives in Scotland. He is a qualified car mechanic and is studying Healthcare, hoping to study nursing and specialise in diabetes so that he can take care of kids with type 1 diabetes. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was five years old. Martyn and his family have participated in the last six Friends for Life conferences and helped out at the UK Friends for Life conference. Martyn has worked with the Elementary Group for the last three years and also with the tweens. He loves helping out and being with his other friends at CWD conferences. |
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Aileen Durkan attended her first CWD conference in 2009 and had such a wonderful time volunteering with the elementary group that she's coming back again this year. She has a younger brother with type 1 diabetes, and she has worked with LifeScan and Animas in Ireland for the past 10 years. She believes it is important to be at the forefront of what's happening in diabetes care, and she enjoys keeping her brother well-informed and motivated. Prior to working in the diabetes world, Aileen was a midwife for 13 years. In her spare time she volunteers for charity work involving children, believing that every child deserves the best possible chance in life. She also enjoys salsa dancing, attending sports games - especially rugby, travelling and meeting new people. |
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Liz Gillum is Mum of Chloe, 17, who has had type 1 since aged 9 and is pumping using the Animas 2020 pink pump; and mum of Jack, 14. Liz joined CWD after doing much research to find a group that supports families. Liz is a Rainbow leader with a group of girls aged 5 to 7 learning about Girl Guiding. Liz also fundraises and volunteers for JDRF helping to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes. Liz came to the first FFL UK conference in 2009 and enjoyed it so much that she decided to come back and help this time. |
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Marissa Hitchcock, BSN, RN, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 24 months old. She completed her bachelor of science in nursing in 2009 and works as a nurse in Tampa, Florida. She loves working with kids who have diabetes. Marissa brings her experiences as a diabetes camp counselor, nurse, and young adult with diabetes as she works with kids and teens at CWD's conferences. |
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Lauren Lanning, mom of Monica, 16, dx 8/96, pumping 5/99, CGM 9/05, and Sarah, 13 ... her CWD "sig line." Lauren became involved with CWD shortly after her daughter was diagnosed in 1996. She has been involved in the CWD diabetes conferences since the very first gathering in Orlando in 2000, where she volunteered to make name badges. Lauren now coordinates the Elementary Programming for every CWD conference. Back home in Denver, she is on the boards of the JDRF and CWD Foundation. She and her husband Steve have chaired and coached her local JDRF Ride team for many years. Lauren has worked as an elementary school computer teacher and now works at an investment banking firm as a researcher. |
Childcare
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Mary Babin, RN, BSN, CDE is one of the first clinical employees at Animas Corporation and the first coordinator of childcare for the little ones at the CWD conferences. Mary leads a team of certified diabetes educators providing childcare in a safe environment for kids under age six with and without diabetes. Providing this service alleviates the concerns of many parents of kids with diabetes – allowing them to attend the sessions with peace of mind knowing that their children are cared for by skilled professionals. This supports Mary’s belief that education is the key to successful blood glucose management. As Executive Director of Clinical and Patient Services at Animas, she is responsible for overseeing pump educators and the pump support team throughout the US. Mary has devoted her career to the world of medicine. As a graduate of Eastern University and Presbyterian School of Nursing, Mary has been in intensive care nursing for over 25 years and a Certified Diabetes Educator for 10. This busy mom and devoted professional has been involved with CWD since 2001. You can spot her at the conferences-she’s the one with the trail of kids behind her! |
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Shayne Weldon has been involved in JDRF UK since 2003. She attended Friends for Life Orlando last summer with husband Ashley Head and 13 year old daughter Phoebe, who was diagnosed with type 1 in 2001. This summer in Windsor, Shayne will assist in coordinating and providing childcare for the 'under 6' group. Shayne has been a Community Nursery Nurse in the UK since 2004 and a healthcare professional since 1981. In her spare time, she enjoys horse riding, reading, movies, and listening to music. |
CWD Staff
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Jeff Hitchcock is the creator, editor, webmaster and president of Children with Diabetes. After earning a degree in computational mathematics in 1981, Jeff worked in high tech and traveled the world, meeting Brenda, who would become his wife, in Africa. He worked in defense related industries until 1995, when he started a small Internet company and launched Children with Diabetes. He subsequently worked at LEXIS-NEXIS and Pearson plc on Internet initiatives, and now works full time bringing Children with Diabetes to you. |
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A finicky connoisseur of hotel meeting space, cappuccino, and kid-friendly cheese and fruit platters, Laura Billetdeaux is CWD's VP of Education and Programs. Since 2000, Laura has organized every single CWD conference, always keeping in mind the true purpose of CWD - education and support of families with type 1, and always keeping in mind why it all works – the efforts of so many dedicated individuals. Laura lives in Manchester, Michigan with husband Neal, who graciously and energetically assists with the conference teen programs. They are parents of Sam and Carolyn who both attend universities and serve as youth faculty at CWD conferences as time allows. |
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Mike Schurig, MS, RD, LD, CDE, serves as Conferences and Content Manager for Children With Diabetes. As a diabetes educator, registered dietitian and person with type 1 diabetes since the age of 12, Mike has had extensive experience in diabetes education with kids and parents. Mike is active with local ADA activities, regional diabetes educator groups, and the CWD website. His interests are insulin pump education and technical advances in diabetes. Mike enjoys visiting the nearby theme parks and enjoying Central Florida. |
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Julia Mattingly is mom to 13 year old Hannah and 11 year old Ethan, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 10 months and who started pumping when he was 3. Julia, Ed, and the kids have been to every single Friends for Life conference and most of the regionals as well! Julia coordinates registration at each conference, and you can always find her when you need a smile and a "Hi Y'All!" Julia loves being in charge of the registration area because she gets to meet everyone who walks in the door. Her best CWD memory is from 2001 when she met all of her CWD email buddies in Orlando for the first time. She also loves to see the smiles on her kids' faces when they re-connect with their CWD friends each summer. |
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| Friends for Life: UK 2010 |
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Introduction
- Faculty and Staff
Schedule - Youth Schedule - Programme Report from the UK 2009 Conference |