It’s the birthday of TuDiabetes!!

In March of 2008, we started TuDiabetes because we saw that too many people with diabetes were feeling isolated instead of benefiting from the shared experience they could have by connecting to other people touched by diabetes.

Today, Diabetes Hands Foundation‘s networks allow members to find support locally and globally. Our more than 23,000 members describe the TuDiabetes family as a lifeline, a source of guidance, a sanctuary, and even a college education! We proudly connect advocates, artists, dreamers, thinkers, and people touched by diabetes of all types so that all of us may live a more expansive life with diabetes.

I sit back and reflect on where we were five years ago and where we are now:

- I have learned to stay flexible, both about my diabetes (not pretending to be perfect) and in the way we do things on TuDiabetes and the Diabetes Hands Foundation (adapting to changing circumstances, challenges, and signals along the way).

- I am more hopeful than ever: I have had the opportunity to talk with (and share the conversations on video) with some of the world’s most brilliant minds working to make our lives better and one day have diabetes be a thing of the past.

- I have witnessed the power of social media beyond socializing: seeing how connected people touched by diabetes now feel better understood and more empowered. Who would have imagined this when MySpace was the big thing?

On our fifth birthday, please help us keep going strong in our mission to improve the lives of people living with diabetes worldwide.

If all members of TuDiabetes donate $5, we will raise more than $100,000. Our goal is less ambitious: we are seeking to raise $20,000 before the end of March. So we ask you to give us 5 dollars, or more if you can.

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Thank you for your support! And here’s to another 5 years!

Featured on HealthiNation

I haven’t been the best of bloggers… actually, I have been a VERY bad blogger. Last time I posted in here was nearly a month ago. But there’s a good reason for this. We’ve been VERY busy! We’ve been to New York, to Madrid and all over the place preparing for November, Diabetes Awareness Month.

With November, comes Big Blue Test, one of the most important diabetes awareness programs at the Diabetes Hands Foundation… I will tell you more about it in a few days, but for now, I wanted to share this preview video of the 4-episode series by HealthiNation about the work we do at Diabetes Hands Foundation. Hope you enjoy it!

Diabetes Hands Foundation Wins 2 Telly Awards for Big Blue Test video!

Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF) announced today that it is the recipient of two Telly Awards for the diabetes awareness video Big Blue Test (BigBlueTest.org).

“We are proud and thrilled that our grassroots online video effort to raise awareness of diabetes has earned this recognition,” said Manny Hernandez, President of the Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF) and founder of TuDiabetes.org, a social network of people touched by diabetes.

DHF received one 2011 Silver Telly Award, the competition’s highest honor, for Online Programs in the Social Issues category for the Big Blue Test video. The organization was also awarded one bronze prize for the Health and Wellness category.

The 2010 Big Blue Test video was produced by DHF in collaboration with David Edelman of Diabetes Daily (http://diabetesdaily.com) and Riva Greenberg of Diabetes Stories (http://diabetesstories.com). The video was directed and edited by Sean Ross (http://ethosphane.com). Roche Diabetes Care helped fund the initiative.

The video promoted the 2010 Big Blue Test, an awareness campaign to encourage exercise for those with diabetes. In conjunction with World Diabetes Day on November 14, DHF invited people with diabetes to test their blood sugar, do 14 minutes of activity, test again and share the results. The video was translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French and German, expanding the number of people who could watch it, understand the message and share it. Diabetes continues to be poorly understood by the general population. The Big Blue Test video helped increase public awareness and engaged viewers in a positive learning experience.

The video, which is less than 2 minutes long, features children and adults who have diabetes skating, running, swimming, dancing and cycling. “The Big Blue Test and the video message resonated with people,” said Riva Greenberg, writer and collaborator on the content development of the winning production. “We aimed to make people aware of the importance of activity in managing diabetes, and help children in need of everyday supplies to live.”

Roche Diabetes Care committed to make a donation of 75 cents, up to $75,000, to diabetes-related charities for every viewing of the Big Blue Test video. The video went viral and was viewed over 130,000 times.

The 32nd Annual Telly Awards competition received over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries. Founded in 1978, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and web commercials, videos and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world.

Gracias a la Vida: dedicada a Kathy

Dedicada a mi amiga Kathy, de Minnesota. Su vida no ha sido facil…

De su blog:

“I have had Type 1 diabetes for 37 years. In October of 2010, I endured a life-threatening health crisis resulting in acute kidney failure. I have been on dialysis for the last 5 months and it’s been the biggest challenge of my life. The support and love sent my way by the diabetes online community has been incredible.”

Sin embargo, compartio su historias en dos hermosos videos que publico en su blog el dia de ayer.

Diabetes Social Media: PWD to Follow on Twitter

After my recent (and last) dLife article, where I interviewed Cherise Shockley about the Twitter and Diabetes, I thought it would help to share a few other accounts of people with diabetes (PWD, in case you wonder what the title stands for) on Twitter.

The list is in alphabetical order. I am sure I missed people, so if you don’t see here an account you think belongs in here, please leave a comment letting me know:
@A_Sweet_Life
@AbbyBayer
@am3366
@AMBlass
@AmDiabetesAssn
@annbartlett
@ArdensDay
@Arnold_and_me
@askmanny (that’s me) :-)
@babssoup
@badpancreas
@BadShoe
@BernardF
@betabuddymom
@bloodsweatcarbs
@BluntLancet
@bradford_g
@CALpumper
@cerichards21
@Colcalli
@CureT1Diabetes
@Dayle7
@DiabeTees
@Diabetes_DRI
@diabetesalic
@diabetesdaily
@DiabetesHF
@DiabetesMine
@diabetesmyths
@DiabetesSocMed
@diabetesUK
@DiabeticFury
@Diaboogle
@diaTribeNews
@dLife
@DMomBlog
@dream4muse
@elgringoinspain
@Elisa1840
@funlovingtype1
@GG2Diabetes
@ginacaps
@GingerVieira
@HopeWarshaw
@iam_spartacus
@iDrevolution
@iGotThaSuga
@ilanalucas
@instructionsni
@irondman
@J_Roc650
@JaimieDOC
@Jamie_Na
@jdavis_harte
@JDRF_Intl
@JDRFAdvocacy
@JDRFQUEEN
@jeffmather
@jenloves2travel
@jessofmeandd
@JoslinDiabetes
@KarenBittrSweet
@karend1
@KayRitzdorf
@KellyRawlings
@kahoffman
@khurtwilliams
@kittiecouture
@laur_n
@leeannthill
@LindasSweetBoy
@logfrog
@Look4acure
@Lyrehca
@Mamapancreas
@MarieBe
@mariruddy
@MHoskins2179
@MrsCandyHearts
@MsMegan777
@mydiabeticheart
@ninjabetic
@our3Dlife
@PumpingPrincess
@rpederse
@sarahmart
@scottkjohnson
@sixuntilme
@sstrumello
@StaceyDivone
@staceysimms
@stephiedichiara
@StPancreas
@Strangely_T1
@STroyCrow
@Sugar_Nova
@sweetlyvoiced
@tailsofrachel
@TeamType1
@teamwild
@thepoordiabetic
@tinashaye
@tmana
@triabetes
@tudiabetes
@txtngmypancreas
@woodonwheels
@Wyldceltic1

For more people with diabetes on Twitter, join:
http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/twitterbetics

Diabetes hashtags to watch on Twitter:
#bgnow: to share your Blood Glucose NOW.
#bgwed: to share your Blood Glucose on Wednesdays (in the same spirit of #FollowFriday).
#dblog: diabetes blog posts.
#DSMA: pertaining to Diabetes Social Media Advocacy topics.

Estas son algunas cuentas de Twitter sobre diabetes en español que considero que vale la pena seguir:
@Carolina_tipo1
@DiabetesPares
@estudiabetes
@fmdiabetes
@midiabetes

Worth reading:
10 People to Follow in Social Media + Health

I Have a D-Dream: A diabetes awareness article inspired by MLK

Although the challenges faced by African Americans in the sixties and people with diabetes today are very different, because this article is getting published close to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2011, I took the liberty of applying some elements from his historical “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963 to diabetes today.

In 1921, insulin was discovered. This moment came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of people with type 1 diabetes who, until then, had been doomed to die as a result of a non-functioning pancreas.

But ninety years later, still too many people with diabetes languish (and far too many still die because they don’t have access to insulin too). Some of them see their bodies decay, some see their souls turn sour.

Ninety years later, lots of people with diabetes lack vital information and support that can help them live a healthy life with this chronic disease. And so I’ve written this article today to dramatize this shameful state of things.

Read more…