Welcome. My name is Victoria, but if you’re visiting my site, I suppose that’s something you already knew. I’m an example of God’s forgiveness, redemption and overwhelming love. I am imperfect, but completely comfortable with that. I answer to many names, but “aunt” is my favorite. I’m a firm believer in bribery when not dealing with your own children. I love passionately and have a tremendous heart for type 1 diabetics locally, nationally and internationally. My biggest hope is for God to get the glory from everything I do, even the ugly stuff. My passion is simple: I want to be part of saving as many lives as possible through Jesus and insulin.

This site was originally started to market myself as a freelance journalist and writer. Somewhere along the way, I began to share my life with type 1 diabetes, my local advocacy initiatives and my journey with Christ. (And yes, I’m still available for freelance work.) The core values reflected in my work, my writing and my life are faith, balance, hope, honesty and service.

Diabetes information: For more than 18 years, I’ve lived with diabetes and learned that having a network of support contributes beyond all imagination to my diabetes management and control. I’m thankful to have found the Diabetes Online Community, or the DOC, and I follow the Healthcare Blogger Code of Ethics and the Health on the Net Foundation Code of Ethics. You can also find me on Juvenation and TuDiabetes. My thoughts here are my own and do not reflect those of my employer nor anyone else. While I share my personal journey with type 1 diabetes, everyone’s management requires different actions and yields different results.

I am not a licensed medical professional, so please consult a doctor for anything related to your own diabetes management and/or control.

In addition to my advocacy through blogging and Twitter, I’m also an advocate for diabetes in my local community of Huntsville, Ala. I’m a volunteer with the local Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation currently serving as the publicity chair. I’m also a trained mentor through JDRF’s Alabama office, and I serve as the co-chair for Hot Shots – a local advocacy and outreach group in North Alabama. Both organizations are extremely important to me as one helps fund research that makes life easier to live each day and the other connects me to other families in my area who share type 1 diabetes.

A little more: I’m the Communications Specialist for HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. I was lucky enough to find the job while working as a print-media journalist for The Huntsville (Ala.) Times. I’m an Auburn University alumna, which greatly contributes to my sports enthusiasm. I’m an avid reader and a closet political/news junkie. I’m an East Tennessee native and enjoy the outdoors because of it. (The photo on this page was taken on a hike along the Appalachian Trail.)

I have two amazing, albeit spoiled, dogs. Barkley, named for Charles Barkley, is a blue heeler mix. She’s wonderfully well-behaved and has a sweet personality. Lucky, a lab mix, earned her name after she and six litter mates were rescued on the side of the road at just 5 weeks old. I lovingly refer to her on Twitter as #DevilDog because she’s proven to be quite the chewer and is mischievous on a regular basis. She makes up for it by being a fantastic snuggler.

Please feel free to contact me through email at victoria[at]victoriacumbow[dot]com.

Additional policies and disclaimers: I understand that when accessing my website or interacting with me online, the privacy and confidentiality of personal information is important to you. That’s why I’m committed to safeguarding the personal details you provide me. Your e-mail, identity or any additional personal information will not be shared.

I work hard to meet or exceed the legal requirements of medical information privacy that apply in the state of Alabama. My thoughts expressed through victoriacumbow.com and the Dia-Beat-This blog are mine alone and are not endorsed by a medical professional. My personal experience of living with type 1 diabetes is the basis for my opinions, statements, blogs, conclusions and anything else posted on this site. Any additional research outside of my own experiences will be documented and linked appropriately.

My site is hosted through an independent hosting company and is personally funded. I do not display advertisements, nor do I receive any outside funding. Any posts discussing events involving monetary gain or reimbursement will be identified and linked appropriately.