CWD News

“Fiffles have truly become my family and the experience of finding true friendship at a diabetes conference goes far beyond a diagnosis of diabetes.” Whether you call them “eff-eff-ells” or “fiffles,” the friends you make at Friends for Life will help make living with diabetes easier.  And this week, we’re very proud to host an essay from CWD Mom and Forever Fiffle Leigh Fickling, talking about why the connections made at FFL are lifelong and important.

Sam Billetdeaux sat down with some of our Friends for Life faculty last summer, and the result is our new FFL Chats series on YouTube.  Hear from a duo with orange bracelets, a T1D strongman, a CWD board member, and more talking about their experiences at Friends for Life and why Children with Diabetes is one of the best places in the diabetes online community to call “home.” Check out the series on YouTube and if you’re interested in sharing your FLL stories, we want to feature them!    

“The bracelets? They were a mix of necessity and practicality, sprinkled with some pretty significant magic.” Have you ever wondered why people with diabetes wear green bracelets at Friends for Life?  Laura Billetdeaux tells the story of the green bracelets, and how they’ve come to mean so much to the CWD community.

Jay Hewitt is an athlete, attorney and keynote speaker. He is the only person with type 1 diabetes to qualify for the U.S. National Long Distance Triathlon Team, racing three years for Team USA at the World Championships in Denmark, Sweden and Australia. He raced 14 ultra distance and Ironman triathlons – a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race and 26.2-marathon mile run—140 miles in one day, all while injecting insulin and managing his blood sugar. At the same time, he balanced work and life practicing law and presenting appeals to state and federal courts around the country. Jay has been featured […]

Are you getting excited for Friends for Life Orlando?  (We definitely are!!!!  See all those exclamation points?)  Whether you’re a first timer or a returning Fiffle, Friends for Life Orlando provides the community, education, and those moments of “me, too!” that you’ve been searching for. And we understand that the conference has a lot of moving parts, so we’ve put together this Friends for Life Frequently Asked Questions page to help you navigate the ins and outs of FFL.  If you have questions about childcare, meals, hotel accommodations, and everything in between, we’ve got you covered.  Check out the FAQs […]

Arthur Ainsberg is a writer and a Wall Street executive. A veteran of the financial services industry, Mr. Ainsberg has served in senior management and consulting roles at Oppenheimer, Odyssey Partners, and Morgan Stanley.  We are proud to have him as part of our FFL Orlando faculty this summer. Mr. Ainsberg is also a scholar on the Endurance, the early 20th century expedition to Antarctica by Sir Ernest Shackleton. In 2008, he published his first book, Shackleton: Leadership Lessons from Antarctica, which highlights the most important leadership lessons to be learned from Shackleton’s story. Mr. Ainsberg speaks and lectures frequently […]

Can you show what life with diabetes is really like in 60 seconds or less? Share a glimpse in your diabetes life – highlight the funny, the serious, the insightful, the inspiring … whatever feels right. Use your cell phone, movie camera, or iPad to record. You’re the director! Videos are due by July 5th, 2019. Check out the webpage for details!  And for a look at previous entries, you can view that director’s cut here.

Today’s post is from one of our Friends for Life Orlando faculty members, Richard Vaughn.  Richard has been living with type 1 diabetes since 1945 and he shares his experiences regularly through different channels in the diabetes online community.  Today, Richard is offering the CWD team some insight on why he kept his diabetes a secret growing up, and also why he shares so openly now. – – – Keeping my diabetes a secret… When I was diagnosed in 1945, I was not actually ashamed of my diabetes. I did not realize what was happening. I was six years old, […]

Richard Vaughn was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1945 at the age of six. He has lived with type 1 diabetes for 73 years, and does not have any of the serious diabetes complications.  Communicating online, and in person, with other people with diabetes is one of his favorite things to do. “The best part of Friends For Life is the opportunity to meet other type 1 individuals, and their families, to get to know them and share experiences. Some of these new friends can truly become friends for life.” You can read more about Richard’s long and inspiring […]