In Young Voices - Life with Diabetes, the
faceless generation who are mere numbers in tomorrow's
diabetes statistics are given a face and a voice - both in a
global context and in their communities. Narrated by Hala Khalaf,
Novo Nordisk Media Prize winner 2004, and photographed by
Jesper Westley, Young Voices - Life with
Diabetes is a collection of eight stories about the lives
of thirteen youths around the world.

"They have one thing in common; they all have diabetes. Some of
them were born with this lifelong chronic condition. A few of them
had the ill fortune to live a lifestyle that prompted it. As
individuals they are very different. They come from eight countries
on four continents and represent different cultures, backgrounds
and age groups. Some are battling ignorance and poverty; others
have access to the most recent medical technology. So why is it
that together their stories are interesting? And what is it
that Novo Nordisk hopes to achieve by telling their stories?

More than having diabetes in common, they have each found their
own way to deal with a condition that never goes away. They refuse
to let diabetes take over their lives, and they share a state of
mind - a special place in their lives - where they find
strength, optimism and renewed energy to fight their diabetes.

The ambition of this book has been to inspire the way we think
about diabetes as a disease, and people with diabetes as patients.
By placing the individual before the disease, and by going behind
their disease stories and into their real stories, as we
have done in this book, we believe that we have an opportunity to
help people with diabetes find their own personal reserves to live
a full life with - and despite of - their diabetes. We
have chosen to look at diabetes through the fresh eyes of children
and young people because through their eyes we can see, understand
and ultimately impact the future of diabetes - their
future. We hope that it can inspire across all age groups.

This book is an invitation to people with diabetes, their
families, healthcare professionals and health policy makers, who
share our desire to change the way we think about and approach
diabetes, to work with us to build a better future in diabetes
care."

Lars Rebien Sorensen, President and CEO, Novo Nordisk.

The book is published by Novo Nordisk in association with John
Wiley and Sons Ltd.