by Elisabetta Caredda
From 11 to 15 July on board Nave Italia, a group of insulin dependent type 1 diabetic patients, led by a medical team, will face the open sea with the support of telemedicine as well. Tonolo: “The message must begin to spread that diabetes is not a disease that limits working or recreational possibilities: today we have devices that guarantee ‘intelligent’ insulin administration.
30 MAG – On 11 July Nave Italia, the largest sailing brig in the world, which departed from the port of La Spezia in April for the annual solidarity campaign promoted by the Tender to Nave Italia Foundation, will set sail from Cagliari to bring the project on board ” Diabetes at sea: how technology can help”. The initiative program was proposed by the Diabete Zero ODV associations, which also supported it financially, and JANASDIA which oversaw the scientific part.
“The project – explains the president of the Diabete Zero association, Francesco Pili, a Health newspaper – provides for an exceptional collaboration with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, the Italian challenger at the 37th America’s Cup which, for the occasion, will open the doors of its Cagliari logistics base to embarkers for a guided tour and will board the brigantine , during the week of navigation, to create a seafaring laboratory together with the Navy crew”.
“After a careful selection, completed in December 2022 – continues Pili -, which saw the scientific committee of the Tender to Nave Italia Foundation engaged in analyzing the applications of around 50 associations, the 23 extraordinary crews between associations and organizations were identified third sector non-profits from all over Italy and one from South Africa. The selected crews will sail aboard Nave Italia during the campaign together with the crew of the Navy and the scientific staff of the Foundation, to experience how the Nave Italia method positively affects the well-being of those experiencing hardship or disability”.
“And here on this occasion – continues the head of the Diabete Zero association -, from 11 to 15 July on board Nave Italia, a group of insulin dependent type 1 diabetic patients, heterogeneous by sex, age and geographical origin, led by a medical team, will have to face the challenge of reconciling the times imposed by the disease with those of life on board. This will make it possible to evaluate the ability to adapt and use advanced technologies to get the patient used to managing the disease even away from medical support structures, trying to reduce the obstacles that hinder the already complex disease of diabetes. For five days the participants will sail in the Sardinian sea, pledging not to “abandon” the ship, with the aim of learning how to manage the disease even in a problematic situation punctuated by the numerous activities on board”.
They will be supported by a specialist team directed by Dr. Giancarlo TonoloDirector of the Diabetology Operational Unit of the Gallura Local Health Authority and project manager, together with other doctors and health professions, who will be present both on board and via telematic connection from the mainland.
“Together with the committed teams – Dr. Tonolo explains to our newspaper – we will evaluate the ability to adapt in a condition different from that of every day, far from health care facilities and pharmacies, assisted by telemedicine thanks to the connection with operators able to support patients from the ground. The message must begin to pass that diabetes is not a disease that limits working or recreational possibilities: modern insulins drastically reduce episodes of hypoglycemia and today we have devices that guarantee “intelligent” administration, allowing the patient to engage in activities time forbidden”.
“It won’t be easy at first – continues the director -, but the goal of this project is precisely to learn how to deal with the unexpected and extricate yourself from routine. The sea is an excellent element of comparison as for our body, we need to learn to know it and get used to dealing with external events such as changes in the wind or currents, just as happens in the life of patients who have to deal with a change in blood sugar”.
“For those who will participate in the project – adds the head of the Diabete Zero association Francesco Pili – a training phase is also envisaged: in the weeks preceding departure, individual and group meetings on nutrition will be held, with particular attention to the management of anomalous situations in which, for various reasons, it is not possible to take meals regularly, conditions frequent in life on board. Briefings will be held every day between patients and diabetologists aimed at making participants more aware of how the system works with them to achieve the goal of good metabolic compensation, which can be reconciled with any type of activity, without fear of chronic complications or hypoglycemia. The data will be transmitted to the ground crew”.
“The scientific association Janasdia, also coordinated by Dr. Pili, will take care of all the scientific part that revolves around the diabetic patient – Pili underlines -. Giancarlo Tonolo, who will mainly support the four accompanying persons on board (two diabetologists, one of whom is CPE (Project Manager of the institution), a nurse and a nutritionist), and the three not on board (diabetologist, psychologist and nurse)”.
“It is an enthusiasm and an honor for us to be able to see this ambitious project come to fruition – concludes the president of the diabetic association – We are always ready to initiate and support initiatives that create networks between public and private entities: awareness raising, prevention and treatment activities can be truly effective only if carried out in collaboration between institutions, health facilities and patient associations”.
Elizabeth Caredda
30 maggio 2023
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