IDF is deeply saddened to share the news of the unexpected passing of Razan Shetaiwi, a member of the IDF Young Leaders in Diabetes (YLD) programme from Jordan.
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My name is Razan, and I’m currently a law student. My dream is to work with an international organisation focusing on the rights of children living with diabetes and their needs.
At the beginning of my journey with diabetes in 2019, I dealt with it as if it was an “intelligence secret.” I didn’t want anyone to know I had diabetes. But, along the way, I started meeting people living with the condition. They encouraged me to accept it and not to keep it secret. This support changed my outlook on everything. So now, I aim to help people like the “old version of me” view diabetes as a different lifestyle rather than an illness.
Today, I am an active member of the Jordanian Society for the Care of Diabetes, and participate in events to spread awareness of the needs of people with diabetes and how diabetes affects their lives.
To learn more about advocacy, I completed a workshop, “Our Views, Our Voices”, organised by the Eastern Mediterranean NCD Alliance. This workshop offered a platform for regional advocacy coordination to promote the meaningful involvement of people living with NCDs. I also participated in the 3rd Regional Conference on Adolescent Health: “Investing in Healthier Generations” hosted by the IDRC and the Jordanian Ministry of Health. In addition, I have worked with the MoH on the Covid-19 vaccination campaign. So advocacy showed me the way from a “top secret” life to a world of possibilities!
