Moira McCarthy Stanford

Award-wining reporter, author and JDRF power advocate

When award-winning reporter and magazine writer Moira McCarthy's daughter Lauren Stanford was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the start of her kindergarten year, Moira thought two things: the world as we know it is ending, and I'll never write about diabetes.

Flash forward almost 15 years. Lauren is a college graduate in Washington DC (500 miles away!), living a full and active life. Moira, still a newspaper columnist. You can find her at the Boston Herald writing their Travel section and also from November to April in the Sports section every Wednesday where you will be able to read her acclaimed outdoor sports and skiing column "Powder Shots," or flip open a copy of SKI Magazine or Ski Area Management Magazine to find her there.

Better yet, do what she does sometimes when she's feeling down: "I think of the Steve Martin character in 'The Jerk.' Then I open up amazon.com on my computer, type in my name and hit 'search.' When the five books I've written come up, I jump up and down and yell (to only the cat -- no one else usually is around or cares) 'I'm somebody! I'm somebody!"

Moira entered the blogger world against her will -- she had no intention of starting one.  After being asked to guest post at the fabulous and well-renowned website DiabetesMine.com, and seeing the incredible response to her guest blog, Moira got thinking: maybe I do need to join this world. And thus, Despite Diabetes was born.

Moira is also a top volunteer for diabetes, having been named JDRF's International Volunteer of the Year in 2007 and served as National Chair of JDRF's International Board's Outreach Committee and Government Grass Roots Advocacy Committee, as well as ChairMom of JDRF's Children's Congress, the foundation's largest and most visible event.

Despite Diabetes aims to discuss daily life, advocacy, cure therapies, feelings, baseball (from time to time) and hopes to be an unabashed voice in the world of working toward a cure.

Please be sure to "Follow Me" and keep in touch. Together we are a force unstoppable when it comes to moving mountains and moving information!

Moira, delivering the keynote speech at the bill signing for the Massachusetts Life Science Bill, which sent $1 billion to life science research. With her is Governor Deval Patrick (who asked her to speak), New England Patriot's owners Bob and Jonathan Kraft, and Nobel Prize winner Craig Mello. To her right is Josllin patient Ashley Conley.
With Lauren -- getting busy living, despite diabetes.