Brian Chandler is a proud Army Veteran, served two tours overseas, and received many Military Awards. Brian is the loving father of four boys. His oldest son, Connor, was diagnosed in 2015. With no family history this diagnosis came as a shock to Brian and his wife (Channing). After many years without much support, the Chandler family found CWD in 2022 and from that year forward found support, education, friendships, and so much more at FFL. Brian is active in his home community serving as the Little League Baseball President and coaching his kids in football, basketball, and baseball. He is also a member of the VFW. He volunteers his time at his children's schools and on their PTO. Brian's thrilled to volunteer with this meaningful community.

Rob Freund, RN, EMT-P, is a career EMS lieutenant/paramedic for the Baltimore County Fire Department. He has also been in the field of emergency medical care for over 20 years as an ER nurse. He attended his first Friends for Life Orlando conference in 2012 and was greatly impressed with the educational programs offered.

Stephen P. Grant, PI, BLS/CPR/AED, is a 43 year volunteer with the Sterling Volunteer Rescue Squad which is part of the Loudoun County Combined Fire & Rescue System. He spent a portion of his time as an operational EMT, before taking on his current role of Public Safety Chaplain. Stephen is also a former Patrol Deputy Sheriff/D.A.R.E. Officer, serving as a Law Enforcement Officer in Virginia and Oregon. Stephen utilizes his law enforcement experience and PI certification supporting victims of domestic abuse and fraud. Stephen’s current full time employment is Director of Business Development and Community Engagement for his family’s full service graphics and marketing company. He and his wife Carrie (aka Wonder Woman) are parents of four and Papi and Gigi to their oldest son’s two beautiful kids. Their youngest son Caleb (our T1D Warrior) was diagnosed in 2014 just two weeks shy of his second birthday. Carrie and Caleb attended their first FFL Conference in Orlando in 2019. Stephen has attended many regional conferences, and is a proud member of DoFFLs. This will be his first time volunteering at FFL Orlando.

Karol Kutzma lives in Northport, NY with her husband John and their girls Amanda and Emmalie (diagnosed at age nine in 2018). She found FFL shortly after her daughter's diagnosis while looking for support groups online. They have been attending Friends for Life Orlando conferences since 2018. She states, "The girls loved the conference more than going to the parks! The conferences and the people who attend are always so much fun and inspiring. Each of us have made lifelong friends." After working 20 years as a police officer with the Suffolk County Police Department in NY, Karol retired in 2014 to raise her girls. Karol is thrilled to be a part of the FFL family as a volunteer.

Robert "Bobby" Lukhard is Dad to Megan (dx July 2014) and Christina. Bobby, his wife Melinda, and their two girls live in Virginia and have been attending FFL conferences since 2015. Bobby spent 32 years in the Fire and EMS field, where he served as a Fire Marshal, Director of EMS, and retired in 2017 as an Assistant Chief. Bobby now works as the Hospital Readiness and Response Coordinator for the Central Virginia Healthcare Coalition where he works with 17 acute care hospitals and eight free standing emergency departments providing emergency management and preparedness support and training. Bobby has been volunteering with the FFL Support Team 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.”

Freddie Miller is a Para-Professional at Sparta Lincoln Grade School with Special Education and regular classes with an annual goal to assist and prepare kids for the current and next school year. Freddie is Retired Military and has worked as a Fireman in his town of Sparta, Illinois. He is the dad to Kairi Miller (T1D/celiac), who was diagnosed in 2018, and has attended FFL since 2019. Freddie has type 2 diabetes and celiac, attended his first FFL conference in 2022, and is returning to volunteer. The FFL conference family has given him a sense of confidence knowing that no one is alone in the fight for diabetes. His daughter Kairi has raised his awareness to get further educated and become a part of her team in her daily life.

Tim Mills has been involved in the T1D world since 2015, when his Daughter Ashlyn (who now works for Children with Diabetes) was diagnosed. He has attended Friends for Life Orlando since 2018, and has found his tribe. Tim lives in Perry, Florida, with his wife Mary. Tim enjoys camping and spending time with family. He graduated from East Carolina University in 1989, and has worked for the State of Florida since 1996.

Wendi Moldthan, MS, BSN, RN, FF/PM, is a dedicated firefighter, paramedic, and registered nurse. She is an Assistant Chief at Reedy Creek Fire Department, with over 28 years in the fire service. In addition to her impressive career, she is a devoted mother to her sweet T1D warrior, Emma, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2017 at age six. Since then, they have been attending Friends For Life every year, the first one just three weeks after Emma's diagnosis. Wendi graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in nursing and a master's degree in public safety administration. She has spent her life in service to others. Despite the many challenges that come with public safety, Wendi believes that being a mom to a T1D warrior is the most challenging of all. As a result, she is passionate about raising awareness and helping new T1D parents manage the roller coaster ride that comes with type one diabetes. Wendi and her significant other, Kevin, are dedicated to helping Emma and other T1D warriors enjoy their best lives through education with humor and compassion.

John Price began his journey into diabetes advocacy when his daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just days shy of her second birthday in 2014. That fueled his passion for supporting those affected by T1D. In 2016, John retired after just over 20 years in the U.S. Army. Since 2016, he earned two bachelor’s degrees: Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Digital Photography from the Art Institute and a Bachelor of Science in Sportscasting from Full Sail University. He's a published photographer with a major publishing company in Detroit, Michigan, and he graduated as the class valedictorian at Full Sail. John spends his free time helping my wife and daughter with audio/visual and sound boards in their theater program as well as running his own college football video podcast.

Rachel Price is bursting with excitement to volunteer at the Friends for Life Conference because of the life-changing connections she's made attending over the years. It's her chance to give back to the community that's given her so much support and friendship. She can't wait to be a part of making a difference for others, just like they've done for her. Her daughter Ella was diagnosed in 2014 and they started attending in FFL in 2017.

Dan Schuessler is a seasoned professional with 17 years in the insurance industry, serving in leadership roles. His daughter, Abigail, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of seven and has attended this conference every year since 2020. She is a true T1D warrior, recently earning state recognition in track and winning her second basketball championship. Abigail is a dedicated individual with a strong sense of purpose, expressed through creativity in arts, athletics, and faith. Dan has cherished the opportunity of attending the Friends for Life Conference since 2021 to celebrate her journey, focus on T1D management and connecting with Fiffles.

DonTonya Smith attended Friends for Life Orlando in 2016 as a volunteer on the Support Team and has returned ever since. She is a retired Police Corporal from the Gainesville Police Department. She now works as an investigator at the Office of the State Attorney, Circuit 8. DonTonya loves working with youth and making people smile.

Trip Stoner (T1) and her husband Doug (T2), have been described as the most effective health advocates in their state. In 2015 they started a Type 1 Diabetes Day at the Georgia State Capitol, where 20 teenagers with type 1 diabetes serve as pages in the chambers and then have lunch with the legislators that serve on both Public Health Committees. This year, their accomplishment includes a new state law that allows schools to stock unprescribed glucagon, which passed both chambers unanimously. In addition, Trip serves on the State Health Benefit Plan Advisory Board and her husband serves on the Committee of Public and Community Health as a State Representative. They both can be found on numerous podcasts with their endocrinologist advocating on numerous health issues. Doug and Trip have volunteered at Friends for Life since 2015 and enjoy meeting new people, and of course, catching up with their Friends for Life.