Support Team
Our Support Team helps us all have a wonderful FFL experience
Jimmy Fickling holds the record for the most juiceboxes, glucose tabs, and applesauce pouches stashed away in a backpack in the hallways of FFL. Jimmy is a Criminal Investigator with Novant Health System specializing in threat management and drug diversion. Father to twins, Ava and Davis, Jimmy can most often be found keeping a close eye on the hallways of FFL and helping to ensure the safety of all FFL participants. His favorite part of the FFL conference is meeting new people and making friends that will truly last a lifetime.
Manuel Guzman is dad to Manuel (dx January 2007) and Camila. Manuel, his wife Keila, and their two children live in Hatillo, Puerto Rico, and have been attending Friends for Life Orlando conferences since 2009. Manuel and his wife are both attorneys, who upon their son’s diagnosis began providing pro bono legal advocacy support and representation to T1D families in Puerto Rico; including drafting and passing local legislation in Puerto Rico to ensure that T1D children received the support and care they needed in both public and private schools. Manuel also served for 26 years in the US Army Reserve, and retired from the military in 2022. He has been volunteering with the FFLST since 2018.
Carolyn Meredith is mom to Chelsea, Jeremy (dx’d May 2000), and Bailey and wife to Rich. Carolyn and her family attended their first Friends for Life conference in 2003 and have been involved with CWD ever since. Carolyn works with Rich managing the storage facility and works with the Support Team as central communications during the conference. For her day job, Carolyn is the Data Management Tech at an elementary school in St. Petersburg, Florida. She enjoys meeting and sharing with other CWD families. “Friends for Life is a place where everyone ‘gets it’ and you can share your own experiences to help others newer to T1D.”
Jeremy Meredith was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in May of 2000 when he was six years old. Jeremy has been attending Friends for Life Orlando conferences since 2003. He received his Associates of Science in Criminal Justice Technology in 2016, a general AA in 2018, BAS in Public Safety Administration in 2020, and is a certified SCUBA Diver. His biggest reason to come to Friends for Life Orlando is that it is a “vacation” from diabetes that is all about diabetes.
Indicates Support Team member with diabetes
