Archive label 'Spain'

The field of children with diabetes in Spain in Mantua

Hola! We are back from the field of young people with diabetes Mantua! The vacancy of AAGD (as announced in a previous article ) was held at the turn of last August, and after a very intensive week our group of 16 boys came home from Spain, now is the time to tell what happened !

Foto di gruppo dei ragazzi con diabete al campo in Spagna

Group photo of children with diabetes to camp in Spain

The departure is taken from Mantua in the night between 15 and 16 August. After a sleepy bus ride to the airport of Bergamo to Valencia, we embarked: for some of us this was the first flight.

Once in Spain, and greeted by a hot sun, we moved to our Hotel Doña Lola in the town of Castellón de la Plana, Valencia, where he prepared for lunch there was an enormous and delicious paella, a traditional dish of the place! Throughout the week there are alternate tourism activities, entertainment and study on diabetes.

The good weather and high temperatures have provided an opportunity to go to the beach all the time that the free time allowed. Most mornings were devoted instead to a Spanish course, with lectures from school Audio Gil Sapnish of the Institute, giving us the opportunity to integrate better with this beautiful language. Just the Spanish school took us to the reception at the town hall in Castellón, where we held a brief ceremony of presentation of the city and brotherhood of nations with their students. The conclusion of the course was celebrated with the awarding of diplomas during a convivial lunch in the forest, the "Pinar".

The evenings were spent visiting the city and waterfront dining in a variety of local dishes: some of us also have the opportunity to enjoy the nightlife and an exciting night on the beach! One afternoon was dedicated to the grueling game of paintball, under a blistering sun and quiet ... More science was the visit to the planetarium.

The tourist aspect was treated mainly by visiting the beautiful medieval towns of Peniscola and Morella, with its beautiful castles. The only downside is the Plaza de Toros Bullfights crowding of Spain, unnecessary and cruel instrument of torture for the bulls ... The last day of stay has been dedicated to the city of Valencia, where he visited the magnificent aquarium Oceanografic, admiring the many fish and other aquatic creatures strange!

But getting back to diabetes. The camp was an opportunity for all us kids to socialize and became a group, but also to confront each other on diabetes, increasing knowledge about their disease through shared experience. In fact you can learn a lot from friends and peers who live in your same situation, and this is the true value of these initiatives. Dr. Francesca Saggiani of diabetes hospital in Mantua has also taken some lessons in-depth diabetes management and self-control, especially as regards the aspect of nutrition.

But diabetes was also center stage on August 20, when our group was hosted by 'local association of young people with diabetes: thanks to the contacts that I have grown in recent months with the energetic president Theresa Mari, we organized a meeting . The evening began with an Italian dinner, and then moved at the headquarters of the association is very well equipped to Castellón: here was held a sort of cultural exchange between Italy and Spain, a moment of encounter and dialogue even among Italian children and Spanish with diabetes. The two associations, the Spanish and Italian, have exposed their activities and characteristics suggerendosi ideas to each other, and we are committed to taking forward a contact for future collaboration: a twinning. This was an important step, because I believe that a comparison across national borders can be born a greater and deeper awareness about diabetes, learning strategies on how to best deal ever!

Le associazioni dei giovani con diabete di Castellón e di Mantova si incontrano in Spagna

The associations of young people with diabetes and Mantua meet Castellón in Spain

Continue reading 'The field of children with diabetes in Spain of Mantua'

Camp for kids with diabetes in Spain: it starts!

Children with diabetes association AAGD of Mantua are about to go on vacation: on the night of Saturday 15 and Sunday, August 16 is set to leave for Valencia! This will be a summer camp for a week for about 15 young people aged 18 years and over Mantua, myself included. The program is rich and interesting: we follow a Spanish course, but there is also a chance to relax by the sea on the beach, competing in various sports and cultural activities, taking advantage also of Spanish nightlife to enjoy!

Ecco il nuovo logo della Associazione per l'Aiuto ai Giovani con Diabete di Mantova

In all probability we should even be able to arrange a meeting with a group of young Spaniards with diabetes places of Castellón de la Plana ( map ) where we will stay, this will be an opportunity to socialize and discuss the different national realities in the world of diabetes, a 'I think that experience enriches and helps increase the awareness of their condition.

Here, all that remains is from: The bags are now full of clothes, insulin (with the appropriate certificate for the plane trip), set the pump and for those who have celiac disease, gluten-free foods also ... ;-) Soon on this blog more news and updates on developments in the field in Spain! Bon voyage and happy holidays to all of us ...! :-D

Simone

Much of the Fundacion para la Diabetes Symposium

Saturday, October 25 in Madrid last year I took part in the Great Symposium held to mark the tenth anniversary of the Fundacion para la Diabetes, a major Spanish body in the field of diabetes: I had anticipated in a previous article .

Un relatore al Gran Simposio sul diabete di Madrid

A speaker at the Symposium on Diabetes Gran Madrid

In the morning he spoke mainly about the support needed for young people with diabetes. This commitment must be at 360 degrees must understand the social life, friends, patients' associations, and everything that revolves around the daily life, with particular attention to the school. In this regard were also presented the results of the DAWN Youth. She was treated the possibility of improving the quality of life of people with diabetes through healthy lifestyles, proper nutrition, education widespread, but especially with regular physical activity and sport: there were several witnesses who spoke of this, among which one of the sport Diatlétic, very active in Spain in recent times.

The afternoon session dealt with matters of more technical and medical, with the presentation of the possible complications and their prevention, but also of modern therapies such as the insulin ("insulin de bomb" in Spanish ;-) ), And the latest discoveries in research.

I think it was an important experience that has increased my awareness about diabetes. I especially appreciated the comparison between different national realities, with mutual understanding. For example, I was impressed to learn that Spain must pay a certain percentage of the price of insulin, usually free in Italy, and that there is great difficulty in obtaining a pump. Also in this nation will experience difficulties at the level of associations, and problems caused by the presence of a fragmented administrative-bureaucratic system and the different ethnic-linguistic communities in Spain.

With great honor I was among the official speakers of the morning! My speech made by simultaneous translator was aimed to present some aspects of the Italian, and international projects for young people with diabetes of which I belong. After an introduction I briefly spoke about the assistance provided free of diabetes in Italy by the national health system, the presence of a national law on diabetes (which has received much interest in public), my involvement in sport, the strategic role of young people, and the opportunity they represent themselves to improve the situation, including through projects of the Youth Panel and the DAWN Youth, with support from Novo Nordisk. Finally, I made an appeal to the European countries are united by the same commitment. I mentioned that to change things, the first thing to do is understand that we are not just "diabetes", but behind the diabetes there are real people who want to live peacefully. I think I spoke well, having raised a lot of curiosity and questions in the audience.

From the tourist point of view the weather was very poor, but I still managed to have a quick taste of Madrid, its vibrancy, hospitality and friendly people. Who knows, I really hope to have other opportunities in the future to visit that beautiful country!

¡Muchas gracias .....! ... ¡Adios! :-D

Leaving for the Grand Symposium on Diabetes in Spain

Friday to leave Madrid, to attend a major conference of the Foundation for Diabetes in Spain. The reason is just the Great Symposium of the 10th Anniversary of the Fundación para la Diabetes, held in Madrid during the day on Saturday, October 25, 2008. I am truly honored to be invited abroad as a speaker for an official event of such prestige. There will be doctors and experts: the theme is important, and during the meeting will mainly discuss the approaches necessary for a positive future without complications in the lives of people with diabetes. As can carry with me a part of diabetes in young people of Italian reality and what I know of companies where I live, also sharing the experiences and activities in which I participate as a member for Italy of the International Youth Panel and the employee DAWN Youth.

Gran Simposio Fundación para la Diabetes, 10º Aniversario, © Fundación para la Diabetes

It would be really interesting to be able to count on the collaboration of you readers: if anyone has a message to his heart, or an anecdote about diabetes in Italy, or a particular experience, I would be happy to tell the tale in Spain. So any idea just contact me or write a comment on the blog.

The site of the foundation is organizing www.fundaciondiabetes.org . I enclose below the final program of the event: the Grand Symposium Program Fundación para la Diabetes ( file details ).

On my return I tell you what happened, bringing the number of updates as soon as possible. See you soon!

Simone