Working Together To End Type 1 Diabetes
By Stacey Acma, Executive Director, JDRF Hawaii
Each November, National Diabetes Awareness Month honors the millions of people throughout the world living with diabetes. Although activities raise awareness, a little-known diabetes epidemic is one where insulin is not a cure.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that affects both children and adults at any age, and onset is unrelated to diet or lifestyle. Each year, more than 30,000 children and adults of all ages — approximately 80 people per day — are diagnosed with T1D in the U.S. It comes on suddenly, causes lifelong dependence on injected or pumped insulin, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications. At present, there is nothing one can do to prevent T1D, and there is no cure.
So how do hundreds of diabetics throughout Hawaii and their families manage the impact of constant counting, testing and injecting that comes with living with T1D? They become involved in Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s (JDRF) commitment to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people’s lives until we achieve a world without T1D.
JDRF is the only global organization with a strategic and comprehensive research plan to end T1D. Driven locally by passionate grassroots volunteers, JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners, and is the only organization with the scientific resources, regulatory influence and a working plan to better treat, prevent and eventually cure T1D. As the largest charitable supporter of T1D research, JDRF is currently funding $568 million in scientific research in 17 countries.
T1D, formerly known as “juvenile onset” diabetes, is often first diagnosed in children. But people develop T1D at any age, and 85 percent of people living with T1D are adults. JDRF sees the need for resources and support among all members of the T1D community, and has active research that benefits people with T1D at all ages and all stages of the disease, with special programs geared to both children and adults.
Whether support comes from a direct donation or through a JDRF event like Walk to Cure Diabetes, supporters, many with no direct T1D connection, find giving is a way to honor those of all ages who admirably manage the lifelong struggles of living with T1D.
Learn more and make your donation of support at hawaii.jdrf.org or 988-1000.
Hawaii charitable organizations may send requests for space in either Proof Positive or the free advertisement below to dchapman@midweek.com.
