Sailor Abel was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of two. Sailor attended her first Friends for Life conference in 2002 at the age of three. She has worked her way through all of the age groups learning and absorbing all the information she could about type 1 diabetes. She has been volunteering with Kiddie Kove since 2018. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a bachelor of science in environmental studies. She is excited for her next adventure! Sailor is so grateful for everything she has experienced growing up through CWD. She has made the very best of friends who have become her family.

Brooke Baker, MSN, RN, CDCES, is mom to Jackson who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a baby. She’s spent a few years in academia teaching nursing in order to raise up nurses who know how to care for her friends with diabetes. As a Diabetes Nurse Specialist for ten years, she’s filled a variety of roles, but her favorite roles include time with her patients. That’s why she’s excited to be on staff this year and take care of the little patients who need constant care while giving parents peace of mind to have a few hours of normalcy. “FFL is a wonderful place where diabetes is the norm instead of the exception. I’m so excited we will be in person again this year!”

Alexa Brenner was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1997 and has been attending CWD conferences since 2006. Being part of CWD has allowed her to grow up into what she'd like to think is a very cool adult and brought her some of her best friends, and has given her more confidence in managing her diabetes than she could ever quantify. She is so grateful to be able to give back to an organization that has given her so much.

Rebecca DeLong was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of five. She attended her first conference in 2007 in La Jolla, California, and has been attending conferences all over the country since then. Rebecca cannot thank CWD enough for helping her build life-long friendships and an amazing diabetes community. She is excited to be part of the team this year and give back to the CWD community.

Chris Freund, BSN, RN, attended her first Friends for Life Conference after her daughter Molly was diagnosed with diabetes in March 2005 at the age of six. She has been a pediatric emergency department nurse for 15+ years and loves working with kids. She is also mom to Andrew, Elizabeth and Benjamin who have grown up with CWD.

Molly Joynes, age 20, was diagnosed with diabetes when she was six. She attended her first Friends for Life conference four months later and has been attending FFL and CWD regional conferences ever since. Molly is the second oldest of four siblings and is a sophomore majoring in music production with a minor in biology at California Lutheran University. Molly is excited to be working with kids at the conference who share the same challenges she’s faced for the past 14 years. She can’t wait to spend time with FFLs, both old and new. Molly recently graduated with a BA in Music Production.

Colleen O'Connell, RN, is wife to Bob, mom to Kaileigh (dx. 1/2007), and Meg, age 14. Colleen and her family have attended FFL conferences since 2008 learning as much as they could, making friends, and giving Kaileigh another family. She works as an RN in the NICU at Beth Israel Lahey Medical Center in Boston, MA. Colleen recalls, "At our first FFL conference, we met Sunshine Abel (also a nurse and mom to a child with type 1) in childcare. We were nervous to leave Kaileigh; she was young and newly diagnosed. But, I remember the confidence we had when we met Sunshine and the staff." Colleen has been volunteering in Kiddie Kove since 2019 and hopes that she is able to make other families comfortable leaving their children so that they can attend seminars and gain knowledge and support in caring for their child and family. Colleen says, "I am so happy to give back to CWD after everything the conferences and people involved in CWD have given to us over the years!"

Hannah Peach is 19 and from Nashville TN. She has been attending Friends for Life Orlando since 2005. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of four. Hannah attends Ave Maria University in southern Florida and is majoring in Nursing. Hannah feels attending the conference has given her the confidence and knowledge to do anything despite diabetes. She loves attending the conference and has made friends for life.

Tammy Point, LPN, CDP, currently serves as a Specialty Programs Liaison with Abode Healthcare. She is a former private duty and elementary school nurse who specialized in medically fragile children. Tammy is excited to volunteer at Friends for Life because her son-in-law (and CWD Volunteer), Brian, has been living with T1D since the age of 15. Tammy enjoys spending time with family and her dogs, Chloe and Sonny.