• by Tanya Gazdik , May 5, 2013

Lilly Diabetes is expanding its collaboration with Disney Publishing Worldwide internationally, based on the success of the initiative in the U.S., which began in 2011.

The goal of the program is to bring thoughtful educational resources to families of children with diabetes, including a series of custom books co-created by Lilly Diabetes and Disney for children of various ages who are living with type 1 diabetes. The books, available through diabetes health care professionals, will be translated and available in 18 countries.

"Lilly Diabetes' objective is to bring safety, health, comfort and a bit of magic to children worldwide," said Andrew Hodge, vice president, International, Lilly Diabetes, in a release.

Nearly 500,000 young people worldwide are living with type 1 diabetes, and an estimated 78,000 are diagnosed each year. From the moment of diagnosis to the day-in, day-out management of the disease, the challenges of living with the disease can be overwhelming for children and their families.

By expanding this collaboration, Lilly Diabetes and DPW hope to reach even more families who have been impacted by type 1 diabetes. The books aim to emphasize what they can do instead of what they can't do, and offer stories of familiar characters, such as Mickey Mouse and his friend Coco, the fun-loving monkey who has type 1 diabetes.

"Lilly Diabetes' expertise with the disease, combined with Disney's tradition of great storytelling, gives us an opportunity to inspire and motivate children and families with type 1 diabetes," said Andrew Sugerman, executive vice president, DPW, in a release.

Disney Publishing Worldwide is the world's largest publisher of children's books and magazines with over 700 million products sold each year. Disney Publishing Worldwide consists of an extensive worldwide licensing structure as well as vertically integrated publishing imprints, including Disney Book Group in the U.S., Disney Libri in Italy, and Disney Libros in Spain.

Lilly has been a global leader in diabetes care since 1923, when it introduced the world's first commercial insulin.