Friday continued with a strong mix of research presentations and updates, psychosocial sessions and discussions, and several interactive panel discussions. The Moms group had a particularly fun time on Friday afternoon with their Paint and Chat session led by CWD moms Lauren Lanning and Leigh Fickling.

CWD favorite Jay Hewitt presented the closing keynote: Find Your Finish Line Vision. Jay is a triathlete with type 1, and he shares his journey as an athlete/parent/partner in a humorous and poignant way. It was great to have Jay and family with us this year!

In another part of the convention center, the Teens headed off bright and early (very early) on Friday morning for their day at Animal Kingdom! Held every single year, this special teen day encourages the participants to put into practice all of the things they’ve learned and talked about on Wednesday and Thursday at FFL, in the context of a day at the theme park. Accompanied by their teen program staff, including six medical staff, the teens had breakfast at Restaurantosaurus and home base throughout the day at the Dino Lounge. There were strict check-in guidelines throughout the day. They were otherwise free to enjoy the park, to make their own choices about lunches and snacks, and to deal with the additional challenges of heat and excitement.

Friday evening was a whirlwind of social events – something for everyone! The college-age crew – both participants and youth program staff – had a wonderful dinner together. It was a great opportunity to sit together at the end of a long and exciting week and compare notes before embarking on the Friday night social events. Many thanks to Insulet for sponsoring the dinner.

For the young and young-at-heart, Dexcom sponsored a Family Movie Night, featuring the film Captain Underpants. Dexcom handed out blankets and capes, and there were pillows, popcorn, beverages – and good friends. What could be better?

Insulet also sponsored the Adults with T1 evening, which this year was themed as a Dress-In-White party. This Friday night event is always a highlight of the week, and it earns high praises year after year from those folks who like nothing better than spending an evening with best buddies, enjoying some great food, beverages, games, and music, and in general having a blast. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Finally, Friday night closed with the Dessert and Posters with the Faculty, sponsored by Ascensia Diabetes Care. This was an opportunity for participants to meet the faculty and researchers face to face and learn about their work and research. This event always goes late into the evening, and we so appreciate the time that our FFL faculty take to answer questions and explain their work in detail. It is such a valuable learning experience because it offers the opportunity to ask about things presented earlier in the conference after one has had the opportunity to reflect and process – it’s simply great follow-up.