Our story

Hippo & Friends began in 2008 as a non-profit association (vzw), founded by Barbara Flamand, whose own daughter has type 1 diabetes. When her 8-year-old daughter had just been diagnosed, she went looking for playful ways to guide her through the world of insulin, injection sites and injection techniques. Barbara came up with 'Hippo', a sturdy hippo soft toy with type 1 diabetes who shows children how and where insulin can be given. After many years of dedication and hard work, the non-profit was transferred to KU Leuven on 8 July 2013, marking the start of the Hippo & Friends type 1 diabetes fund. Through the fund we focus exclusively on scientific research, while the new vzw Hippo and Friends, founded on 24 June 2019, also aims to improve awareness and understanding of type 1 diabetes among the general public.