Two years later, they founded American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad, Inc. in the development of a national diabetes organization in Ecuador. …
In 1984, José Gabriel, a six-month-old boy in Quito, Ecuador, went
into a coma and was diagnosed with insulin dependent juvenile
diabetes Despite the efforts of his parents, both of whom were
physicians, they could not keep him healthy His parents spent most
of the familys income on insulin, but eight years later José fell
into another coma Josés family saved money and sent him to the US
for treatment where they soon discovered that a lack of education is
as dangerous as a lack of insulin Even considering the serious
difficulties of José and his family, he was still much better off than
most children with diabetes who live in Ecuador
In 1994, two teenagers, Jesse Fuchs-Simon and Nick Cuttriss, who met José
Gabriel when he came to the US for treatment, went to Ecuador and began a
support group to help children with diabetes in the hallway of a public
hospital Two years later, they founded American Youth Understanding
Diabetes Abroad, Inc AYUDA with the idea that as youth, they could serve
as agents of change for other youth In the eight years since AYUDA
was
founded, it has become the driving force for diabetes advocacy in Ecuador
AYUDA established a national annual diabetes camping program, Campo Amigo
Ecuador, which completed its fifth year last summer and served more than
110 children and adolescents from 14 provinces In total, Campo Amigo
Ecuador has hosted 550 campers It was also instrumental in the
development of a national diabetes organization in Ecuador Over the past
eight years, AYUDA provided over 175 million dollars in donated diabetes
supplies and professional medical services to the diabetes community in
Ecuador
AYUDA created a volunteer program that brings individuals to Ecuador who
range from high school students to world-class medical professionals
After a competitive selection process, volunteers participate in a formal
training program where they improve their Spanish, appreciate Ecuadorian
culture and learn about diabetes management Their training culminates in
working at Campo Amigo Ecuador AYUDA has brought more than 70 volunteers
to Ecuador through this program; over 20 in each of the last two summers
In 1998 AYUDAs workbook, Manejando la
Diabetes Managing Diabetes, was
published by the Pan American Health Organization and distributed
throughout Latin America As a result local diabetes communities from all
corners of Latin America began to ask AYUDA for help AYUDA responded by
organizing the first international diabetes youth leadership conference,
Campo Amigo Internacional, held in Lima, Peru in 2003 for nearly 50 youth
leaders from 14 countries The following year the program was held in
Santiago, Chile This years program will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil and
will include 18 countries In addition, AYUDA will expand its volunteer
program to aid in the organization of the diabetes community in other
countries
True to our motto, Juntos somos más fuertes Together we are stronger,
AYUDAs accomplishments would not be possible without the help of our long-
time collaborators: Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, the Pan American
Health Organization, Insulin for Life, the Diabetes Camping Association,
Youth Venture, and the Comité Pro Fundación Diabetes Juvenil
Ecuador
———————–
AYUDA,
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????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????INC IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
THAT IMPROVES THE LIVES OF CHILDREN WITH
DIABETES ABROAD
