Franclim Gomes

Moreira (Brazil) 
Brazilian National Association for Diabetes

My name is Franclim Gomes Moreira, I am 69 years old and currently retired. I discovered that I had diabetes when I was 35. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with cardiovascular problems and underwent an angioplasty. I was also evaluated by an ophthalmologist who confirmed that I was at an initial stage of diabetic retinopathy.

Thanks to careful follow-up, these complications were identified early and could be treated, preventing more severe consequences. However, my kidneys were extremely weak, I was losing too much protein through my urine and my creatinine level was very high. After trying many different medications and dosages, the doctors at the Brazilian National Association for Diabetes (ANAD) finally prescribed me a treatment that worked and stabilised my blood glucose levels.

There was only one problem: after six months of treatment, I could not afford my medication anymore. My doctor filled in innumerable forms, reports and receipts to be submitted to the Ministry of Public Health for the “provision of high cost medication”, but my request was rejected twice. I was desperate, as I did not want to go back to living without control, running to hospitals, being afraid of dying and my family being constantly worried.

Asking ANAD’s lawyer for guidance, he helped me to win my case and I was informed that the government would provide me with the medicine I required. Thanks to this intervention , I’m healthy today! The fight isn’t easy, but I know that I have a place to go for treatment and support. I wish that everybody with diabetes knew that they must fight for their rights.

Diabetes Quebec

Ernest Thériault is a person with diabetes from Mont-Laurier, in Northwest Quebec (Canada). Although many people are not aware, diabetes is often associated with other complications, such as kidney damage. Mr Thériault underwent haemodialysis for 17 years and then received a kidney transplant. In January 2014 he developed pneumonia and was hospitalised to receive healthcare, as people with diabetes are at an increased risk of having complications derived from pneumonia.

When he was examined at the hospital, the doctors found out that the level of potassium in his blood was five, which is too high for someone with kidney complications. Despite this finding, none of the healthcare professionals that were treating him decided to modify his hospital menu and, as a consequence, he was provided with vegetables, which are very high in potassium. Mr Thériault also was not allowed to take medication for the high potassium level while he was hospitalized. This practice needs to be changed as, aside from the complications that can originate, it could prove very costly for the health system in the long run.

Mr Thériault did not feel he was heard during his time in the hospital and that the treatment he received did not recognise his right to take decisions regarding his own healthcare. He also believes that these actions were not appropriate for a person with a kidney transplant and could have been harmful to his health.

Polish Diabetes Association

I was diagnosed with diabetes 28 years ago, after a surgery that had a very bad results. At first, I did not receive any specific care: the doctors assured me that my diabetes was temporary and my body would go back to normal.

However, after two years, my condition worsened and I needed to start taking insulin. Making this decision was very difficult for me because, not only were the injections painful, but the types of insulin available in Poland at that time were not very effective and could cause side effects. I frequently visited the hospital for check-ups in order to minimise the complications, but the results were not always what they should have been. When I was diagnosed, people with diabetes received extremely poor healthcare; it was as if we didn’t have the right to receive proper help. Diabetes was usually marginalised and trivialised.

The turning point came ten years ago, when I was prescribed long-acting insulin analogues. Since then, my quality of life has tremendously improved and I can finally sleep at night knowing that I will wake up the next morning.

However, as I don’t get reimbursed for this new type of insulin, I’ve had to pay for it myself, renouncing many things in my daily life in order to afford my life-saving medication. I believe that everyone should have the right to receive proper care, as citizens cannot be labelled as first, second and third class.

Khadjia Alarayedh (Bahrain) 
Bahrain Diabetes Society

Nine years ago I collapsed in the middle of a busy road, but it was only several months later that my family and I started to connect this incident with other symptoms I was having. As my grandmother has diabetes, we recognised what we were seeing and asked her to check my blood sugar level.

Unfortunately, we did not know how to read the machine. The readout said “HI” and we just thought it was greeting us! As nobody could tell us what it meant, we went to a hospital where a doctor simply told me: “You have diabetes and you will have to take multiple injections daily.”

I was very worried about this new condition in my life but nobody gave me any information: I had to find out for myself what having diabetes really meant and how I could control it.

As a person with diabetes and a Young Leader, my greatest challenge is confronting the misconceptions that people have and informing them that diabetes is a normal thing. In Bahrain, where I live, all medicines are free but education and awareness are lacking. For example, what is the point of being given needles if we are not taught how and when to use them?

To help informing people about how they can manage their lives with diabetes, I have formed a network called TeamD, a group of Young Leaders dedicated to promoting awareness. We created the award-winning website www.diabetes.bh and are planning our country’s largest fundraising event for diabetes ever.

Little by little, by sharing our experiences and knowledge, I hope that more and more people will find it easier to cope with the challenges they face daily.

Margot Vanfleteren (Belgium) 
Diabetes Liga

Back in 1996, it was challenging for me to grow up with diabetes. One minor example is the fact that ‘light’ sodas were not always available in bars. But discrimination can go further, when I was ten years old I was bullied by my classmates because I had diabetes. I kept it secret for almost two years because I could not find a place to talk about this problem. I was convinced that teachers did not understand my condition. After all my years of being a student, I can honestly say that a lot of teachers still do not know what diabetes is. Luckily, I could rely on the Flemish Diabetes Association for support.

We have come a long way, but we’re not there yet! The difficulties of living with diabetes never stopped me from giving lectures and trying to raise awareness. In fact, they gave me the power to keep on fighting against the ignorance of diabetes.

With the support of several other organisations I am currently developing a new educational game. The game is called “Marjore”, like the dog who first received insulin. The aim is to reach as many people as possible and make diabetes understood more broadly.

I have a single message for everyone with diabetes: “Do not stop believing, because YOU are a spokesperson for diabetes. YOU need to stand up and represent it. No matter how many setbacks you may have experienced, make sure you always stand up with confidence!”

Helena (Brazil) 
Brazilian National Association for Diabetes

My name is Helena, I am married and have two children. In 2001, when I was 50 years old, I was diagnosed with diabetes. It was quite shocking for me, as I had always thought that diabetes was something you “inherit” from a close relative.

I started to be treated by an endocrinologist: my blood was tested every six months, I took pills to manage my diabetes and followed a diet because I was obese. At the beginning of the treatment everything was good: I lost weight, always took my medication and even believed that I would be cured. However, a few years later, I stopped going to the endocrinologist and only continued to take my medication, not worrying about my diet or exercising.

In 2009, during a consultation with a general physician, I was warned of the possible consequences of not treating my diabetes. I then decided to contact the Brazilian National Association for Diabetes (ANAD). There, I was recommended to start a treatment with insulin, and I received guidance and training from nurses and other professionals who helped me beyond what was strictly necessary for my medical treatment.

Today, I understand diabetes as a whole and know that I need to have everything under control.

I consider it a miracle that I did not develop any complications after all the years I spent with my blood glucose levels out of control, and feel so much better now! I would like each person with diabetes to have the opportunity to be treated like I was and I would like to thank my doctor and ANAD for providing me with the possibility of a better future.

Carlos (Brazil) 
Brazilian National Association for Diabetes

My name is Carlos and I am a 63 year-old retired man. I was diagnosed with diabetes three years ago. I was very concerned because I did not know much about the disease. All I could think of was people going blind or having their legs amputated. I had not even heard of insulin! My concern increased over time because my test results were getting worse. However, my doctor did not go further with additional treatment options: my visits only consisted of collecting my prescriptions and that was it.

I was feeling tired, my legs hurt, my vision was blurry and I could not stop urinating and losing weight. I had lost all hope until I heard about the Brazilian National Association for Diabetes (ANAD) on the radio. I immediately called ANAD to learn more and decided to enrol. During my first appointment with the physician, I received guidance about the disease and was made aware of the complications that diabetes can cause, how to prevent them and the different treatments available. I was told about diet, exercise and my treatment was completely adapted.

Today, I am capable of managing my condition thanks to all the knowledge I acquired in this last year. I finally feel safe knowing that I can have a normal life, with only a few limitations.

Clóvis (Brazil) 
Brazilian National Association for Diabetes

My name is Clóvis. I am 59 years old and I was diagnosed with diabetes 20 years ago. Despite having diabetes for so many years, I hardly knew anything about it. The consequences of inadequate care meant I suffered from blurred vision, tingling feet, leg weakness, weight loss and fatigue. However, nothing was ever investigated by the doctors. I simply took my medication and that was it. I did not even know what I was supposed to be eating.

I first learnt about the Brazilian National Association for Diabetes (ANAD) while listening to the radio. From my first visit to the Association, I started to understand what diabetes really is and what the complications are.

ANAD’s endocrinologist examined me and showed me the extremely high blood glucose levels I had, resulting in a prescription for insulin. Thanks to ANAD, I learnt about the complications caused by diabetes and discovered that many of my symptoms might have been related to it.

Thanks to all the things I have learnt since I joined ANAD, I know that diabetes is a disease that needs to be monitored by specialists, and that medical care must be taken seriously. Now I consider myself to be an informed person.

Diabetes is a silent disease but it is here. The fight is not over.

Karen Kemp (Canada) 
Canadian Diabetes Association

Thirty years ago I was flying home to Canada after a year of backpacking through Asia. During this flight my life changed forever as I slipped into a diabetic coma and had to be rushed to a California hospital.

I was given just six hours to live and was unaware that my 29 year old sister had also just died from diabetes complications. I was blessed with a second chance and I will never forget the strangers who helped me when I was desperately ill.

Having volunteered for 30 years with the Canadian Diabetes Association, I have developed a deep compassion and commitment to educating others. My volunteering developed into advocacy and has progressed to giving presentations, co-founding the Diabetes Action Network in 2003 and planning Ottawa World Diabetes Day events.

It is rewarding to help others. In 2013, I produced and hosted a TV series on diabetes education, called “80,000 & Counting”. This year I created an awareness programme to educate Girl Guides and Scouts of Canada. Diabetes has also shaped my career. I have worked as an insulin pump trainer, a Pharmacy Diabetes Resource Manager and now a Diabetes Life Coach.

My daughter has been a huge support in my life. I am now 57 years old and my dream is to promote diabetes awareness by telling my story in a movie. Until then, I will use every opportunity to educate others that living well with diabetes is possible. Never allow diabetes to prevent you from living the life that you want!

Mary Shi (China) 
Chinese Diabetes Society

My name is Mary Shi, I am a representative for the Chinese Diabetes Society and I would like to share with you a true story about a young woman in rural China. Her name is Liao Ye, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at only 10 years of age and she has been living with it for the past 19 years. I should say she is suffering, given her family has neither the education nor financial means to support her diabetes treatment.

When Liao Ye graduated from a local musical college she was unable to get a teaching position due to the discrimination towards her diabetes. While Liao Ye now manages her own online retail store, her situation is not improving: at 29, she has been self-managing her diabetes, has lost her hearing and been diagnosed with uraemia.

Many people eventually heard of Liao Ye, through social media, and three hospitals in Beijing have offered free treatment for her. Other individuals have also offered her the expensive pumps and supplies that she needs.

While this helps Liao Ye, all of China is facing a unique set of problems: the growth in childhood diabetes, huge populations being unaware of their condition, discrimination against people with diabetes and even people who are ashamed to admit that they have diabetes.

We must try to solve these issues or else the future for people with diabetes in China will be very bleak. It is therefore crucial for China to foster a culture that educates its population about diabetes and that treats people with diabetes equally.

Reghunadh Raghavan

Nair (India) 
Young Leader in Diabetes

My name is Reghunadh Raghavan Nair and I am from India. I would like to share an experience I had a few years ago.

I come from a rural area where people have a more conservative mentality. 15 years ago, when I was diagnosed with diabetes, people did not even believe that someone as young as I was could have this condition.

One day, a respected person from my home village asked me: “How can a boy be diabetic?” It was hard for me to explain, but thankfully it was during the time of World Diabetes Day activities, so I took him to an awareness class given by the local hospital. After the class he better understood, and he himself let many other people know what diabetes actually is.

I believe that people need to receive sufficient education to minimise scepticism and wrong perceptions. This way, I hope that society’s opinion about diabetes can be changed for the better.

Reghunadh Raghavan Nair passed away in August 2014 at the age of 30. Reghunadh joined the IDF Young Leaders in Diabetes Programme in Melbourne in 2013. He was a real inspiration for many Young Leaders. He had a true passion to help people with diabetes and was about to conduct research to test children for diabetes in schools in India.

Mohamad Firas (Indonesia) 
Persatuan Diabetes Indonesia

Back in 1998, when I was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, it was very difficult to find a doctor who could manage my condition, even though I live in Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital. I visited at least three doctors before I was diagnosed, and it took about three weeks before I got my first insulin shot. Some doctors looked shocked when they learned about my diagnosis. Most doctors are not well trained in managing diabetes – especially type 1.

Although there are new diabetes treatments, insulin types and routes of administration, diabetes-related complications are still common. This means that the effort of doctors and the Government to educate people with diabetes is currently insufficient.

The Indonesian Diabetes Association is trying to educate young people with diabetes, especially those with type 1, on how to manage and live with diabetes, including two-day workshops for young people where we try to set good examples by showing how we live and manage our condition.

Fida’a Yassin (Jordan) 
Eradeh for children and youth with diabetes

I am Fida’a Yassin, a 21 year old Business Administration student. My mother, grandfather and grandmother all have type 2 diabetes, but I never thought that I would also have it.

In December 2006, I had a virus and high fever which lasted for two weeks, so I had to be hospitalised for treatment. During my stay I was getting severe dizziness whenever I stood on my feet; I also lost a lot of weight, kept going to the bathroom and drinking excessive amounts of water. Eventually, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and told that I will have it for the rest of my life.

This said, diabetes has not stopped me from living a happy and normal life, not even for a single day. As a Young Leader I am very active in social media and I have my own website to spread awareness about diabetes and healthy living; I encourage all the children that I can to live a normal life. Our Association – Eradeh for children and youth with diabetes – is aiming to conduct research into type 1 diabetes and children with type 2 diabetes, as well as planning activities in the near future to educate and spread awareness about diabetes.

Mohammad Y. Al-

Bahar (Kuwait)

In 2007, I was leaving to go on holiday to China. Before boarding the plane from Hong Kong to Beijing, a flight attendant forced me to hand her my insulin syringes, stating they represented a hazard according to their airline’s policy. I told her that the medication I carry with me is for treating my medical condition and that it has to be taken on time, or I will be very ill. I also showed her a letter written by my diabetes doctor discussing my health condition. Nevertheless, the flight attendant refused my request and asked me to board the plane without the medication.

In November 2011, I established a group on Facebook called “International Friends with Diabetes”. People post many stories very similar to my own experiences. It is a social community that shares information about medication, nutrition and exercise. We also share stories about how we deal with diabetes on a daily basis, and how we overcome the obstacles and challenges that we face.

Taoufik Nigrou (Morocco) 
Moroccan League for the Fight against Diabetes

My name is Taoufik Nigrou and a while ago I started seeing a young woman with diabetes. For many months we lived unforgettable moments of happiness. Unfortunately, my closest family and friends were against it and asked me to forget her. They told me that she was condemned to have many complications, would be a burden to me and that if we ever decided to have children, they would also have diabetes.

I did not have the right information to explain the condition to them and to defend my love. Constantly pressured, I finally stopped seeing my girlfriend. She was very unhappy and did not understand my discriminatory attitude towards her.

Deep down I have always regretted my action. This incident in my life has inspired me to study to become a nurse. Now I can better approach people with diabetes, understand their difficulties and help combat prejudices against young people with diabetes.

I write this so that we rise up against discrimination and stop stigmatising this condition.

Zohra Ej-biry (Morocco) 
Moroccan League for the Fight against Diabetes

My name is Zohra Ej-biry and my story is about a man who developed his diabetes towards the end of the 1980s and died just a few months ago.

With the hope of curing his diabetes for good, he spent his life running after a remedy, a miracle cure for a condition he never understood how to live with. His beliefs and, above all, his lack of knowledge were used against him by charlatans who found him to be an easy target.

Each time he came to them they gave him a new recipe for medication made from olive or walnut leaves, or lizards, or black millet and goose eggs. He even used plants and blends of things which he knew neither the name nor the content, because he had been promised that they were miraculous.

Most of these plants have bitter, almost unbearable tastes and probably have harmful effects on other organs. Not wanting to treat himself with modern medicine, he lost what is most valuable – his health. His eyesight went first, then his kidneys stopped working and he needed dialysis for the last five years of his life.

It puzzles me how something like this is possible in 2014.

Who is responsible for this drama? Is it a lack of appropriate healthcare for people with diabetes? Is it a lack of information and education available? Is it the quality of the services provided? Or the combination of it all?

The man in this story happens to be my father, Haj Mohamed Cherkaoui Ej-biry. May God rest his soul.

Piotr* (Poland) 
Polish Diabetes Association

In 1968, when I was 24, I suddenly found out I had diabetes. It was a huge shock as I did not know what the disease was or what the consequences might be. At that time, I was a young soldier with a wife and young daughter. Unfortunately, I had to leave the army because of my diabetes, and this was devastating to me.

When I visited my doctor he told me that I had ten more years to live – at most. I decided not to give up and began for all the information I could find on diabetes. With no internet, no relatives or friends with diabetes and little medical help, the search was difficult. There was no patient education whatsoever and very poor information available.

I sought other people with diabetes and found out that we all needed support. We watched as many of our friends developed complications and eventually died. Despite the legal difficulties, we established an organisation for people with diabetes. But Poland was still under the communist regime and weren’t allowed to gather. We eventually managed to convince politicians that our only aim was to save lives. We were certain that the lack of information and education and the poor healthcare system were responsible for a number of untimely deaths. In the end, our organisation – the Polish Diabetes Association – became the biggest patient organisation in Poland.

Sandi McKechnie (United Kingdom)

Access to treatment has never been an issue for me in the UK. I have always been able to obtain my monthly medical supplies. However, accessing information on how my diabetes can affect me on a daily basis has been more difficult. I could not imagine talking to my healthcare provider about relationships, sex, moving away from home or going to music festivals.

As it happens, it seems that I was not the only one! In 2012, Diabetes UK supported a group of 14 young people to develop a resource for other young people living with type 1 diabetes in Scotland. The aim was to make information accessible and to give them optimal knowledge of their condition. The website that was created is based on a previous publication made by healthcare professionals called “Making Connections”.

The name for our website, JUST DUK 1T, was developed during a residential weekend and comes with the tagline ‘Duk the Highs, Duk the lows, Duk Diabetes’. The website was launched at an event led by young people in September 2013 and has been a huge success, with over 14,000 hits.

The website has allowed people with diabetes to form a network of united voices on issues important to the diabetes community. It has inspired me to become an active part in influencing positive change and highlighting the importance of making diabetes information freely available to everyone.

Natalie (United States of America)

I was born in 1948 and my grandmother had diabetes. At the time, the distinction between type 1 and type 2 diabetes was unknown and my family was terrified of it. They beat it into my head like a drum saying, “Natalie, do not eat that, you will get fat and get diabetes!” So when I was diagnosed, at the age of 41, as having type 2 diabetes, all I could hear was their voices in my head saying, “I told you so, I told you so!” Ironically, I was not fat, and it turned out to be type 1 diabetes that I had, but I spent the next 20 years fighting the thought that I did it to myself.

My best friend died when I was 58, leading me into a depression and developing an eating disorder as I couldn’t get rid of the idea that I was fat and that I had given diabetes to myself. After losing a dramatic amount of weight I finally accepted my type 1 diabetes, that it wasn’t going anywhere and that wasn’t my fault.

Better access to understandable information about diabetes, and latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), and helping families recognise what childhood obesity really is would have helped me, and certainly will help people like me.

Maria Hillinger (Austria) 
Austrian Diabetes Association

Tobias was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2010, when he was ten years old. He had successfully completed the first and second years of primary school in Austria and enjoyed going to the after-school care club.

Unfortunately, after his diagnosis, the Head of the after-school care club told his mother that Tobias could no longer attend. His mother told him that Tobias only had to adjust his insulin dose, something he could do by himself without any trouble or assistance. He just needed someone to keep an eye on him. Tobias’s mother offered to pay for diabetes education for the teacher to be better informed. However, club Head was not interested.

When she contacted the council for assistance, a staff member even told her that such a “seriously disabled child” was not allowed to attend the care club and he should enrol in one which was too far away. She then called the Mayor looking for help, but he did not react. A reply from the Deputy Mayor confirmed that the Mayor could not help.

Jessica Schmidt (Canada) 
Canadian Diabetes Association

My name is Jessica Schmidt, I’m 13 years old and am from Victoria (British Columbia, Canada). I have type 1 diabetes and I am a volunteer advocate for the Canadian Diabetes Association. I want everyone to see diabetes through my eyes and know that it is not something to be afraid or ashamed of.

When I was first diagnosed, a nurse came and spoke to my class about diabetes and how I would need to give myself injections throughout the day, prick my finger and sit out for a few minutes during physical education. That was my easiest year in school diabetes-wise, because all the kids knew and there was no guessing.

However, after a few class and school changes, no one really knew me anymore. Sometimes, classmates would gather around me and watch me prick my finger. When my class gets substitute teachers they sometimes think my insulin pump is a cell phone. When I explain them what it is they sometimes ask, “And what is that?” Inside my head I am thinking, “Why would a teacher not know this?”

Recently, my eighth grade teacher said he thought that type 1 diabetes was caused by consuming too much sugar. Another classmate also asked me if they could ‘catch’ diabetes by having me sneeze on them.

I am always happy to explain and appreciate that my classmates ask questions, instead of making assumptions.

I am thankful to have such a supportive family – Mum, Dad and my brother, Martin. They make me feel like my diabetes can’t slow me down.

Ágnes Narancsik (Hungary)

My daughter started going to primary school in September 2013 in Budapest. She has type 1 diabetes and needs rapid-acting insulin at lunchtime. As she is still not old enough to deliver her insulin doses by herself, she needs competent adult supervision.

I consulted with her teachers several times and even wrote an official request for their assistance in this matter. My daughter can actually control her blood glucose on her own, so she only needs assistance to read the results. However, at the beginning of October, the Headmaster told me that the school would not take responsibility and would prohibit the staff to assist my daughter in this matter. Although there are several medical institutes within a two-minute walk from the school, it took me a month to find and hire a qualified nurse to look after my daughter.

The Hungarian Constitution states that the control and treatment of children with permanent diseases need to be done by the school’s medical staff (a school paediatrician or school nurse). But, during a meeting with a representative of the Ministry of Education, I was told that administering insulin to a child at kindergarten or school was responsibility of the parents, and that is why I receive an increased child benefit.

This statement by the Ministry of Education and the behaviour of the school management in refusing to assist in the control and treatment of children with diabetes, violates my child’s rights for health and safety.

Csilla Kocsisné Gál (Hungary)

Exactly two years ago our daughter Juditka, aged three and a half, was hospitalised in a critical condition. Her diagnosis was childhood diabetes. The news shocked our family and we wondered how a child could receive such a setback.

Although at first we were afraid, we learnt about the condition, its management and delivering the injections. Our practice and time rewarded us and the task, which appeared impossible at first, turned into an everyday routine. Our daughter was in good spirits and we started to feel happy again. We also observed that other children with diabetes did not seem to be different from their peers in any way.

We thought we would finally be able to let Juditka return to her beloved kindergarten. However, the manager refused, saying that having a child with diabetes in the kindergarten would be too much of a risk for her. She didn’t care about the law and nothing would convince her that a child with diabetes is the same as any other child.

This rejection deeply affected our family, especially our daughter. This is why we decided to establish the Meerkat Foundation for Children with Diabetes: meerkat, as well as referring to the animal, is also a Hungarian pun as a playful term for injections. The Foundation fights against the exclusion of children with diabetes from kindergartens and to enable educational institutions to welcome them without fear and prejudice.

Binit H. Gandhi (India)
Young Leader in Diabetes

I am strong... I am worthy...
I am beautiful... I am perfect...
I am me...

In India, social factors play an important role in the acceptance, adherence to treatment and overall outcomes of diabetes management. People with diabetes in resource-limited countries like India face diverse consequences because of their condition, and its management is negatively affected.

The preference for a male over a female child is considered a tradition, and a female child or adult with diabetes has to face problems like inferior care, strict religious rituals and social stigma. On top of this, females with diabetes will have to face the high cost of insulin and glucose strips, lack of medical insurance and the need to save money.

To overcome this issue of gender discrimination, the government has started to provide free medical treatment to female children and adults in villages. Graduating doctors are also obliged to practice in villages and help poor people before completing their degrees. Non-governmental organisations and charity groups are given special recognition by the government if they support issues related to diabetes, particularly if they work towards the improvement of conditions for women. More awareness is being spread to save, support and encourage girls and women through adverts in newspapers, on the television and radio.

A revolution for the girls and women with diabetes is taking place, due to increasing support from the government and other organisations. Society is also gradually understanding the need to stop discrimination against girls and women, and instead provide them with the best medical care available.

Hisako Saito (Japan)
Japan Association for Diabetes Education and Cure

Yoko is a 20-year-old from Japan. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in December 2012. One year later she started an administrative job and, on her first day, her boss said, “You should not tell any of your colleagues about your disease, because it would make them worry.” Yoko did not like hiding her diabetes but she followed her boss’s advice because she was afraid of losing her position.

One day she went to dinner with her colleagues. Shortly after their meals arrived, she asked for an excuse as she had to have an injection. However, a senior colleague said “It is rude, you should not leave table during dinner.” So Yoko did not take the injection. She just drank tea while the others enjoyed their food and drinks.

The next day she was called in by her boss and he said, “You do not have to come to our social events if you cannot eat or drink like everyone else. I do appreciate that your work has been brilliant. However, if you are unsociable due to your diabetes, it will eventually force you to leave here.”

Yoko was very sad and upset when she heard this. She decided to leave this company and found a new job. Although it’s a part-time and temporary post, Yoko is much happier now that she doesn’t hide her diabetes and enjoys her work.

Sana Ajmal (Pakistan)
Diabetic Association of Pakistan

Social stigma is part and parcel of living with diabetes, especially in developing countries.

I was 16 when I was diagnosed. At that time I was a high achiever in studies and active in both social and institutional settings. As soon as I was diagnosed, things started going very badly, because of the myths related to diabetes. When I was recovering from a ketoacidotic coma that I suffered because I was not diagnosed in time, people would come over to our place to “console” my parents, as I had been infected with the diabetes termite that would eat me up.

I commonly heard comments like a “female with type 1 diabetes cannot have children, so get her married off without telling the guy or his family”, or “there is no need to waste money on this child’s education as she is going to die sooner or later”.

My parents gave me a lot of confidence. We used to look on the Internet and in books to learn about diabetes management. In the end, we succeeded! I continued excelling in studies and I also found an amazing guy who was crazy enough to marry a woman infected with the diabetes termite... a rare find in my country!

With proper knowledge and support, I was able to have two healthy and extremely active children.

Today, with the help of the International Diabetes Federation’s (IDF) Young Leaders Programme and IDF Member Association/ Centre of Education, I have been pitched as a role model and a diabetes ambassador in the national and international arena. I keep telling my audience... nothing is impossible with diabetes. This gives people with diabetes some spirit and the “Aunty Acid”, some eye opening revelation.

Wojciech Zając (Poland)
Polish Diabetes Association

The saying, “a healthy mind in a healthy body” doesn’t seem to hold true for people with diabetes. When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I was discouraged to perform any physical exercises rather than being taught how to integrate physical activity into my new life.

Healthy children can exercise as much as they want, but I am not that healthy (and never will be). The borderline between a child with diabetes and everyone else is clearly visible in schools. “Maybe you should exempt your child from physical exercises? We do not want any problems,” are common refrains. Physical education teachers are frightened of possible hypoglycaemia and are not well educated about diabetes; most of the time there are no nurses available in schools. I had to get a note from my doctor to inform the school that I am able to single-handedly manage my diabetes safely.

Last year I decided to show people that everyone is able to exercise if they take the right precautions. Over 120 people went on a bike ride through the streets of my hometown. Who could have distinguished those who had diabetes from those who didn’t?

José* (Spain)
Asociación para la Diabetes de Tenerife

I am a 48 year old man from the Spanish Canary Islands. I was diagnosed with diabetes just before I turned six years old.

I first worked as a teacher in a private school in Tenerife. One day I had to ask the school headmaster for permission to go to an appointment with the endocrinologist and I explained her that I have diabetes. A few days later, I was suddenly dismissed from my position. The headmaster asserted that I should take into account my “sickness” and work in a calmer sector.

Since then I have always introduced myself as a person with diabetes. I’ve worked in a number of different positions but I have never since experienced discrimination. What’s more, I believe I do have the respect of my colleagues at work for the work I do.

Djadou Afi (Togo)
Togolese Diabetes Association

My name is Djadou Afi and I am a student in Lome, Togo. When I was 12 years old and about to start secondary school, I was hospitalised due to suspected malaria. It turned out I had diabetes. It was such a shock to me that I wept and thought I was going to die.

At school, my classmates started calling me a witch. When I fainted, they said I was visiting the spirit realm. Nobody wanted to sit next to me in class. I did not want to go to school any more, I even thought of running away and ending my life.

Without the support of my doctor and family, I would have given up. They talked to me over and over again and encouraged me to fight all of my negative feelings. Now, I have the courage to show compassion to those who taunt me and patience to explain diabetes to them. Through my attitude change, most of the people I avoided have become my friends, and even offered to help.

I became a member of the Togolese Diabetes Association and, as a Young Leader, I made a presentation in front of my entire school on what diabetes is. The headmaster was very interested in my presentation and asked me to learn more about diabetes. I do not regret having diabetes, even though I have lost a lot: diabetes prevented me from working in two companies where I had applied and my fiancé left me due to the high cost of the treatments.

Today, I am 26 years old and I am involved in many projects. What I want is to help people to fight against discrimination and to live to the fullest every day that God has given me.