YLD Mentor 2020-2021
When I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I was worried of what I would face, but I knew that I wouldn’t let it change my life. For sure, my life isn’t the same as it was before, but I successfully adapted to this new lifestyle. I live in a country in which people tend to be afraid of something they don’t know, so a person with something not so common like diabetes can be targeted. I knew I wouldn’t let anyone think differently of me, so I didn’t let myself be marginalized. I didn't want to hide and be afraid of showing what I have. By engaging with diabetes and regulating my control I learned how to be responsible and caring. I feel proud of myself for all the things I have accomplished through diabetes. I tried to transform my condition to an opportunity of exploring my abilities. This is why I want to be an advocate, because I want to eliminate the lack of knowledge on diabetes, to raise awareness of it and give hope and strength to all new people being diagnosed with diabetes. We all feel afraid in the beginning, but we need to talk about it and embrace it, because when we do we are able to understand it better and let others understand it too.
My project: Another YLD from Greece and I, as a team, among the other projects we have done, we are producing a theatre play focussing on themes such as difficulties, struggles and worries of a person with diabetes. The main purpose of our project is to raise awareness in a country with lack of knowledge about diabetes, to educate the general public about diabetes and health and to present what life with diabetes is. There will be 3 days of performances. The play will take place in Heraklion and the audiences will be mainly from Crete and the rest of Greece.
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Watch my interview at YLD 2017 Training Summit in Abu Dhabi here.