• Is PeoplewithDiabetes.ca affiliated with the Canadian Diabetes Association?
• Who is behind PeoplewithDiabetes.ca?
• Why was PeoplewithDiabetes.ca created, and how does it fit in the marketplace?
• How is PeoplewithDiabetes.ca funded?

Is PeoplewithDiabetes.ca affiliated with the Canadian Diabetes Association?

No. While we participate in the activities of the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation on a volunteer basis, we are not officially affiliated. We endorse and promote the advocacy objectives of both organizations and encourage our members to be active and engaged in the diabetes community.

PeoplewithDiabetes.ca provides a platform for discussion on issues that impact our lives as diabetes patients, with an opportunity for medical experts to provide opinions on those issues in an uncensored format.

Further, we are an "information clearinghouse" on advocacy initiatives across the country. As patients, we need to be "in the know" on current affairs in the diabetes arena so that we can speak out knowledgeably and lend our voices to issues we feel strongly about.

Who is behind PeoplewithDiabetes.ca?

The vision for this online community was conceived by Sandy Struss, a woman with Type I diabetes. A longtime advocate and volunteer with both the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Sandy is an entrepreneur by nature and a motivational speaker by trade. She has spoken to audiences of diabetics and health care professionals across the country which has given her a well-balanced perspective and a 'finger on the pulse' of the diabetes community in Canada.

Why was PeoplewithDiabetes.ca created, and how does it fit in the marketplace?

The seed which planted the idea of PeoplewithDiabetes.ca began in mid-2005 when Sandy was put on Lantus insulin, a new basal insulin which completely changed her health profile. After 16 years of struggling to manage her blood sugars, within three months of this new insulin she had her HbA1C within the .07 range for the very first time! She was mystified and outraged when the new insulin did not make it onto the provincial formulary for coverage after being rejected by the Common Drug Review, and began a process of investigation into how 'the system' works. How are decisions made? Why is it all so secretive? And how is it possible that something like insulin could possibly be denied to people who need it to stay alive?

Firstly, PeoplewithDiabetes.ca has been created as a platform to educate and unite people with diabetes across Canada, because only when we stand together (and we are a community over 2 million strong in this country!) to make our voices heard and demand attention and accountability from our elected officials can we ever expect things to change.

Secondly, PeoplewithDiabetes.ca has been created to provide hope and inspiration to people living with diabetes. There is a tremendous amount of fear-mongering that goes on with diabetes due to its devastating complications, but that does not work as a motivational method for everyone. We need to shift our perspective in how we think about our illness if we hope to become all we can be in the face of our daily challenges.

Thirdly, PeoplewithDiabetes.ca has been created as a place for conversation and support among peers. The value of support groups and diabetes camps cannot be underestimated because it lets people with the illness know they are not alone. As much as we appreciate the knowledge and guidance from our health care professionals, there is nothing as powerful as when that knowledge and guidance comes from somebody who shares the same experience with diabetes. We know. We've been there. The site is run by people with diabetes for people with diabetes.

How is PeoplewithDiabetes.ca funded?

We accept sponsorship funding from both private and public sector organizations that see the value in patient empowerment and health promotion. Our agenda remains independent, however, serving the interests of the diabetes community as a whole.