Editor to attend Diabetes 123 conference in Orlando.   We will be at the Diabetes 123 conference in Orlando this week. I asked the organizer of the event, Laura Billetdeaux, to describe how this came about. Laura let me know that:   In September 1999, I was having an online conversation with two other moms from the Childrenwithdiabetes.com parent listserv.  I was bemoaning the fact that my 9 year old son, Sam, had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes a year earlier and – because we live in a rural area of Michigan – had not met any other children or families with type 1.  My email buddies felt the same way.  They lived in rural areas as well, and their children didn’t know others with type 1 either.  We thought it would be very cool and very fun to get together in Orlando when school let out. We talked more about this idea on the ChildrenwithDiabetes.com parent listserv, and before we knew it, there were 30 other families interested.  Several months went by, and 75 families wanted to join us.  By the time we all met in Orlando in June 2000, there were 110 families from 33 states and four countries… nearly 500 people.  We spent four days together visiting the Orlando area theme parks and sharing stories poolside.  By Sunday afternoon, we’d all decided we had to do this again in 2001.   This year’s gathering has a strong educational component featuring world-renowned diabetes researchers and educators.  There are discussion groups geared toward parents, teens, and siblings.  The newest products in diabetes care are available for you to review in the Exhibit Hall.  Try out several different types of meters… wear a pump with saline… discuss new pharmaceuticals.  We expect over 1100 people from all around the globe to be there with us.  Check back next week for our special story on this special event.    Dave Joffe, Editor