Help us 
to cure Type 1 Diabetes

vzw Hippo and Friends / Hippo & Friends type 1 diabetes fund

Every day, we work to dispel the misunderstandings and taboos surrounding type 1 diabetes. We provide education and training sessions to help athletes with type 1 diabetes exercise safely, and we support scientific research. We are striving for a world without type 1 diabetes.

Een meisje met lichtblond haar in een lichtblauwe jurk knuffelt Hippo, de grijze knuffelnijlpaard van Hippo and Friends.

who are we and what do we do?

"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much!"

Jongen zittend aan de rand van een zwembad met zijn voeten in het water, draagt een hoed en bril en houdt een groot knuffeldier vast.

Creating more awareness

about type 1 diabetes

Through the fund and the non-profit organization Hippo and Friends, we strongly focus on awareness through our campaigns because too many misconceptions still exist about type 1 diabetes.

Improving quality of life

for people with type 1 diabetes

Sports has beneficial effects, even in people with diabetes. That's why we strongly focus on education about sports and diabetes through diaT1op and diaT1op kids.

Een oudere man bekijkt nauwkeurig een doorzichtig laboratoriumbuisje met een oranje dop in een laboratoriumomgeving met witte kasten aan de muur.

Support for scientific research

at the Leuven Diabetes Lab

The Hippo & Friends type 1 diabetes fund supports the fundamental scientific research of the Leuven Diabetes Lab into the causes, progression, and new treatments for type 1 diabetes.

More about hippo and friends

discover more about hippo and friends

In this video, you'll discover what Hippo and Friends stands for and how we dedicate ourselves daily to the type 1 community.

Our achievements in 2025

Hippo and Friends is committed every day to raising more awareness about type 1 diabetes.

602

Number of donations.

21

Number of completed projects.

9

Number of ongoing projects.

+150,000

Number of people reached with awareness campaigns.

News

Does the Koolhydraatteller app use AI?

AI has become part of everyday life and is increasingly built into nutrition apps, but how is AI used in those apps and what does the technology make possible? What are its advantages and limitations? The Koolhydraatteller app does not currently use AI, but there are possibilities for the future.

Hippo the wizard keyring

Hippo the wizard has no magic powers that solve everything… but something far stronger: knowledge, courage and perseverance.

Pascal and his daughter Fay both have type 1 diabetes

Pascal and his daughter Fay both have type 1 diabetes. Pascal uses the Smart InPen™ system and his daughter Fay the MiniMed™ 780G system. We spoke to Pascal about his experience as the parent of a daughter with type 1 diabetes and about how technology helps them day to day.

Testimonials

Jutta Haaramo (Happy Bob)

"Diabetes management is really complex. No wonder there are many who know the mental burden of diabetes far too well. But being stressed about your condition does not help you to take any better care of yourself. Rather, our family noticed that humour and positivity did help. Noticing the small wins (“oh, your blood glucose was really good at school today - well done!”) made a big difference."

Jillian Angermeier (Snowflakes in January)

"Thank you for asking us to write a bit of Hudson’s story! It’s about the feelings we had at the beginning of his diagnosis with type 1 diabetes."

Jubie Wigan (Sugarplum Children)

"If I look back to those early years, I don’t know how I coped. I probably haven’t slept through the night since that day, when Aliena got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. You’ve always got one ear open."

All testimonials

Our partners

Support us

Thanks to your support, we can continue our efforts to raise awareness, improve the quality of life for people with type 1 diabetes, and support scientific research.

Hippo het nijlpaard – mascotte van Hippo and Friends