Kathryn Gentile Alvarez

MS, ACSM-CEP, EIM II, CPT, CSNC, CDCES

 

Diabetes Educator  and Exercise Physiologist

 

 Kathryn Gentile is the Director of Exercise Physiology and Teen/Young Adult Specialist from Integrated Diabetes Services. 

She was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes at the age of twelve and managed her diabetes independently from the get-go, switching from multiple daily injections to pump therapy to a hybrid closed-loop system. Along the way, she has studied the effects of various forms of exercise on glucose levels and enjoys developing basic and advanced exercise prescriptions for patients.

   She received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology from Ave Maria University in Florida and a Master’s degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology from West Chester University in Pennsylvania. She is Certified by the American College of Sports Medicine, the International Sports Science Association and the
Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education. Additionally, she is certified to train on most insulin pumps.

   Kathryn has been the diabetes educator and exercise instructor for two Sweet Living Retreats so far. She covers topics including, but not limited to, sick day management, technology/treatment options, glycemic index and bolus timing, physical activity adjustments, data analysis and self-adjustment, and protein/fat coverage. She is eager to answer questions and share all she can to help people thrive with type 1 diabetes.

   She lives in Neptune Beach, Florida with her husband Kenny,  dog, and two cats. In her free time, you’ll find her on a long walk with her dog, biking by the beach, or weightlifting at the gym with Kenny.

Aren Dodge

RD, LD, CDCES

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Registered Dietitian  and Diabetes Educator

 

Aren Dodge is a dietitian and diabetes educator who has been living with type 1 diabetes for 30 years! Ever since her missed diagnosis in 1993 with a BG of 1851 mg/dL, she woke up from her diabetes coma and has been teaching and advocating for other insulin users ever since!

     She also juggles several other autoimmune diseases like celiac disease and a dairy allergy, which makes her a pro to help with meal planning and restrictions, as well as troubleshooting inflammation triggers with CGM graphs!

     She is an expert with diabetes devices and advanced insulin techniques. In the past, she was the outpatient nutrition and diabetes program coordinator at a hospital in Warrenton VA.

    Now she has her own business here in Lexington, SC-Dodge Diabetes, LLC does insulin pump training, one one-on-one consultation, and has built an online course for advanced insulin users called "Be your best Pancreas"

 

You can follow her on Facebook or Instagram for the latest diabetes tricks and new devices coming to a diabetes clinic near you!

She enjoys being out in nature with her pups and spending time with her family husband, Jeff and 2 young kids!

Bev Hope

MBA

 

Board Member

 

Bev holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BA from Davidson College. She has over three decades of experience leading teams and driving growth in the consumer, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries. Bev has led marketing for brands with multi-billion annual sales to start-up companies. Bev has worked in diverse categories on leading prescription and consumer healthcare brands. She is passionate about unlocking the potential of brands, teams, and organizations to help improve health and change patients' lives.

 

Bev is the proud mother of two sons, Andrew and Alex. Serving patients has become her mission after losing her husband to non-small cell lung cancer and supporting her older son, who was diagnosed with Type1 Diabetes at age 14. Bev has been dealing with her autoimmune disease health journey after being diagnosed with Graves' Disease or hyperthyroidism in 2017.

 

Bev lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her son Alex and spends downtime immersing herself in nature, museums, meditation, writing and doing creative projects. She enjoys travel getaways with her partner, Carlos, and especially loves family time with her sons, Andrew and Alex, and her grand-puppy, Mister Beans. Bev follows a healthy lifestyle to manage her chronic condition and helps support others. A wellness advocate and leader, Bev is the certified Program Director for the Fort Worth Galloway Half Marathon Training Program.

Gina Marra

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Founder of Sweet Living

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     Gina was diagnosed with type one diabetes in June of 2020 after 2 years of cancer treatment. With a blood sugar level of 704, she was in diabetic ketoacidosis and admitted to the ICU. She received very little education in the hospital and was sent home with only an insulin-to-carb ratio chart.  The first 5 months after her diagnosis, she suffered fluctuating blood sugars, from the low 50s to the high 300s, leading to multiple hospitalizations. The physical and emotional trauma of her diagnosis resulted in panic attacks, fainting spells and a sense of hopelessness.  

She knew if she wanted to live, she had to prioritize her health above all else.  In order to calm her nervous system, she traveled to Costa Rica and spent 2 months at a yoga retreat center. The natural beauty and tranquillity of Costa Rica as well as daily yoga and meditation, enabled her to return home with a calmer mind, stronger body, and a heart full of gratitude and hope.

     Inspired by her experience, she created these educational and wellness retreats to offer other t1d warriors the opportunity to learn more about managing this disease and connect with others building a supportive and compassionate T1D community.

     Gina lives in North Carolina and has 3 adult children and one beautiful grandson. She is a retired infant and toddler development specialist, avid gardener and long-time martial artist. 

Mental Health Counselor

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We are seeking an energetic and compassionate Mental Health Counselor with a passion for supporting the Type 1 diabetes community.

Social Media Marketer 

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Join our dynamic team as a Social Media Marketer and help us elevate our organization's online presence!