A bit more about the founder

Margot has suffered from diabetes since the age of 2,5. In all these years she never dropped her shoulders, on the contrary, she always tried and still does through ups and downs to enjoy life.

Nevertheless at the age of 10 she was bullied because of her diabetes. Although she found this hard, it gave her that extra push not to give up on life. Even more, this again proved to her that there was a serious need to educate people about the disease.

When she was fifteen she had to make the transition from injections to a pump. Initially she found this a tough mountain to climb. She struggled with the idea but then, after about six months of living with the pump, a ray of sunlight came shining through again and she started to enjoy life once more.

This difficult time in her life helped her to realize that she needed to do something for and with diabetics. Thus, she took the negative and shaped it into a positive force, a reflection of her life's mottos: "Think positive, be positive" and "Diabetes is not an illness but a chance you just need to grab when the time is right". 

As early on as kindergarten, in a childlike way, Margot tried to teach the children of her elementary school about diabetes.

Later in secondary school she continued explaining to her fellow pupils and her teachers what diabetes is. 

In 2009 Margot took the initiative to send an e-mail to a number of politicians. A week later she received an answer from the cabinet of Wouter Beke who was eager to hear her story. Thus, having finished her exams on 4 December 2009 Margot travelled to Brussels. She had an enthusiastic meeting with Wouter Beke about diabetes and about what could be done to put the limelight on type 1 diabetes (juvenile type). A month later she also accompanied Stijn Deceukelier, head of the Flemish Diabetes Association, to the cabinet of Minister Jo Vandeurzen.

Since the end of April 2012. She is also part of the IDF(international diabetes federation) advisory committee(YLD’s EU). There she is responsible for networking and politics. She is blessed to work in a team of 5 people. It’s an international team with people from Denmark, Belgium & Germany. Besides that she’s also in the faculty of the international skiing camp. She is the youngest member but yet she made her name. Full of life and fond of working with people.

In the summer of 2012 She was a counselor at a camp from the organization named DYF(diabetes youth foundation) in Fresno. 

In 2012 she also became part of Icing Sugar. A project set up by Katarina Braune. A medical student from Germany and also Young Leader in Diabetes. Icing Sugar is a skiing camp for young adults with diabetes.