It was a night of inspiration and celebration. Back at the San Ramon Marriott where the Walk to Cure Diabetes 2004 season kicked off, it concluded Dec. 6 with an awards ceremony and update on how much we raised this year. The magic number was $850,000 for the East Bay walk held in Walnut Creek with 2,500 participants. The four Bay Area walks together raised $2.2 million. Since the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation was started, it has raised some $800 million for diabetes research. Learn more
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Walk photos are here!
We've posted some of the dozens of photos from the 2004 Walk to Cure Diabetes at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek. The photo link at the left will take you right there.
We had a great time! For technical reasons, we can't post all the ones we have right now. We're exploring other methods of posting even more great shots!
Also read below for the financial results of all your hard work!
Thanks again. You are all great!
We had a great time! For technical reasons, we can't post all the ones we have right now. We're exploring other methods of posting even more great shots!
Also read below for the financial results of all your hard work!
Thanks again. You are all great!
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Walk Totals.....$800,000
The preliminary totals for the East Bay Walk for a Cure to Diabetes are in....We raised $800,000! With pledges and other money still rolling in, that figure is sure to grow.
Of the total, family teams accounted for $335,000! So far, Team Shelby has officially collected $6,261. We were the 29th team overall in fund-raising, 13th among family teams. This year, there were 93 walk teams that each raised $1,000 or more.
This is a wonderful effort. In years past, the Bay Area chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has raised about $2 million annually with its local walks. The amount of positive research into the causes and cures of Type I diabetes this amount of money will fund is just amazing.
Each member of Team Shelby is part of the solution. We are once again humbled and thankful for your support. Join us in celebrating our success!
Here's the official list for teams over $5,000:
Dollars Raised --- Team Name
$95,108 --- USS-POSCO
$72,532 --- Pepsi
$51,500 --- Oakland Athletics
$50,000 --- Harman Management Corp.
$29,458 --- PeopleSoft
$21,780 --- Dylan's Superstars (Calamoneri)
$21,495 --- Connor's Crusade for a Cure (Young)
$17,242 --- Team Bobby (Stearns)
$11,096 --- Addi's Angels/Maile's Miracles (Aplanalp)
$10,740 --- Hannah's Hikers (Francis)
$10,528 --- Emily's Dream Team (Giambastini)
$10,341 --- Safeway
$10,105 --- Tessie's Team (Robinson)
$10,000 --- Lending-A-Hand Pacific Service CU
$9,818 --- Jordan's Team (Ehrlich)
$9,601 --- ADP ProBusiness
$9,458 --- Katie's Krew (Assael)
$9,337 --- Farmer's Insurance
$9,280 --- Miller/Telles Family Team
$9,015 --- Alex's Army (Riley)
$8,710 --- PMI Group, Inc.
$8,675 --- Target
$7,375 --- Alec's Advocates (Hillman)
$7,303 --- Katelyn's Krew (Hanna/Theobald)
$7,205 --- Jack & Jill (Contra Costa County Chapter)
$6,955 --- Cooper's Crew for a Cure
$6,914 --- Temple Isaiah
$6,813 --- Save Mart Supermarkets
$6,261 --- Team Shelby (Corey)
$6,170 --- Jordan's CREW (Cain)
$6,115 --- Aiden's Army (Hornett)
$5,500 --- Jacob's Crew (Castleberry)
$5,375 --- Castus Low Carb Superstores
$5,302 --- Aradigm Corporation
$5,211 --- Aisling's A-Team (Maher)
$5,068 --- Team Handy
Of the total, family teams accounted for $335,000! So far, Team Shelby has officially collected $6,261. We were the 29th team overall in fund-raising, 13th among family teams. This year, there were 93 walk teams that each raised $1,000 or more.
This is a wonderful effort. In years past, the Bay Area chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has raised about $2 million annually with its local walks. The amount of positive research into the causes and cures of Type I diabetes this amount of money will fund is just amazing.
Each member of Team Shelby is part of the solution. We are once again humbled and thankful for your support. Join us in celebrating our success!
Here's the official list for teams over $5,000:
Dollars Raised --- Team Name
$95,108 --- USS-POSCO
$72,532 --- Pepsi
$51,500 --- Oakland Athletics
$50,000 --- Harman Management Corp.
$29,458 --- PeopleSoft
$21,780 --- Dylan's Superstars (Calamoneri)
$21,495 --- Connor's Crusade for a Cure (Young)
$17,242 --- Team Bobby (Stearns)
$11,096 --- Addi's Angels/Maile's Miracles (Aplanalp)
$10,740 --- Hannah's Hikers (Francis)
$10,528 --- Emily's Dream Team (Giambastini)
$10,341 --- Safeway
$10,105 --- Tessie's Team (Robinson)
$10,000 --- Lending-A-Hand Pacific Service CU
$9,818 --- Jordan's Team (Ehrlich)
$9,601 --- ADP ProBusiness
$9,458 --- Katie's Krew (Assael)
$9,337 --- Farmer's Insurance
$9,280 --- Miller/Telles Family Team
$9,015 --- Alex's Army (Riley)
$8,710 --- PMI Group, Inc.
$8,675 --- Target
$7,375 --- Alec's Advocates (Hillman)
$7,303 --- Katelyn's Krew (Hanna/Theobald)
$7,205 --- Jack & Jill (Contra Costa County Chapter)
$6,955 --- Cooper's Crew for a Cure
$6,914 --- Temple Isaiah
$6,813 --- Save Mart Supermarkets
$6,261 --- Team Shelby (Corey)
$6,170 --- Jordan's CREW (Cain)
$6,115 --- Aiden's Army (Hornett)
$5,500 --- Jacob's Crew (Castleberry)
$5,375 --- Castus Low Carb Superstores
$5,302 --- Aradigm Corporation
$5,211 --- Aisling's A-Team (Maher)
$5,068 --- Team Handy
Walks From Around America
I've been seeing lots of accounts recently of families and children fighting diabetes one step at a time like we do here at Team Shelby. Part of the beauty of the Internet is having all of this at your fingertips, but it also brings home just how many people this disease impacts.
Here are capsules of what local newspapers around the country have been reporting:
****
Lowell, Mass., Sun:
Jonathan Lapa was 3 when he first got sick.
He was on vacation with his family in Disney World when he suddenly fell very ill.
At the doctor's office in Orlando, Fla., they were told he had a stomach bug, so the family cut short their trip and came back home to Dracut. But Jonathan wasn't getting any better.
They brought him to his primary-care physician. It was a good thing they did. The doctor said if they waited a couple more days, Jonathan would have ended up in a coma.
Jonathan, a sweet little boy with light brown hair and bright blue eyes, was diagnosed with Type I diabetes an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks the cells that produce insulin.
Devastated by the news, the family began the long, heartbreaking journey down a road feared by all parents.
"My baby was very sick," said Jonathan's mother, Sheila Lapa, with tears streaming down her face. "And there wasn't anything I could do about it.
"I cried for a year," she said. "It's very, very hard it changes your whole life."
****
From the Marietta, Ohio, Times:
By Connie Cartmell
You don't have to be a mother to know the fear Jeanann Hartman felt eight years ago when her 6-year-old daughter, Nikki Neville, was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.
The news was overwhelming.
"When I first found out, I was very upset," Hartman, of Cutler, said. "I still worry, and I feel like I nag her a lot."
This mom worries that when her daughter is old enough to move away from home, that she won't take good care of herself and terrible complications will result.
In Type 1 diabetes, a person's pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone necessary to sustain life. Insulin must be taken, usually by daily injection, to maintain the proper glucose balance.
There are 17 million Americans with diabetes, 2 million diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. Of the total number of victims, there is one death every three minutes from diabetes. Juvenile, or Type 1 diabetes, often goes undiagnosed, while internal damage continues to ravage young victims. It is a growing health concern, receiving a lot of attention as more children are diagnosed at younger ages.
Several thousand Ohioans participated in a walk at Easton Mall in Columbus Sunday to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. A group from Marietta, including Neville, attended in support.
"The numbers of people there really impressed me," Tracey Huck, of Marietta, dean of students at Cutler and Bartlett elementary schools said. "There were a ring of 'walkers' all around the mall perimeter."
****
From the Munster, Ind., Times:
BY SUZANNA TUDOR
MERRILLVILLE -- More than 2,000 people took steps Sunday to help raise more than $325,000 for the Northwest Indiana Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Using names such as "Bobby's Buddies" and "Kady's Krusaders," friends and family members of youngsters stricken with the disease converged on Hidden Lake Park in Merrillville for the fifth annual Walk to Cure Diabetes.
The organization was founded in 1970 and sponsors more than 200 walks nationally. The local walk was started because of a mother's desire to help her daughter.
Kady Helmer, 14, of Western Springs, Ill., was diagnosed with Type I diabetes eight years ago.
"I felt there was a need for support from Northwest Indiana for juvenile diabetes research," said mother Kassy Helmer, 41.
****
From The Intelligencer of suburban Philadelphia, Pa.:
At 8 years old, Kelly Bandish just wants to fit in.
She was diagnosed with Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes over the summer. This school year is different from the last because Kelly now has to visit the school nurse several times a day to check her blood-sugar level.
"I'm afraid people will think I'm different than the other kids. I'm afraid that they'll think I'm not the same," said Kelly, a third-grader at Mill Creek Elementary School in Warrington.
She plays soccer, softball and the violin. She loves animals. When she grows up, she wants to be a veterinarian.
Looking at her, no one would know she has diabetes. The daily insulin injections that Kelly gives herself serve as a reminder.
In Type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin, which is necessary for the body to be able to use sugar, according to the American Diabetes Association Web site.
Kelly is asking for support as she participates in the Walk to Cure Diabetes on Oct. 31 in Fort Washington. She is hoping to raise $5,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
****
They go on and on and on. Thousands of kids just like our Shelby all over the country just trying to live a normal life with a disease that forces them to think about what their body is doing 24/7.
Here are capsules of what local newspapers around the country have been reporting:
****
Lowell, Mass., Sun:
Jonathan Lapa was 3 when he first got sick.
He was on vacation with his family in Disney World when he suddenly fell very ill.
At the doctor's office in Orlando, Fla., they were told he had a stomach bug, so the family cut short their trip and came back home to Dracut. But Jonathan wasn't getting any better.
They brought him to his primary-care physician. It was a good thing they did. The doctor said if they waited a couple more days, Jonathan would have ended up in a coma.
Jonathan, a sweet little boy with light brown hair and bright blue eyes, was diagnosed with Type I diabetes an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks the cells that produce insulin.
Devastated by the news, the family began the long, heartbreaking journey down a road feared by all parents.
"My baby was very sick," said Jonathan's mother, Sheila Lapa, with tears streaming down her face. "And there wasn't anything I could do about it.
"I cried for a year," she said. "It's very, very hard it changes your whole life."
****
From the Marietta, Ohio, Times:
By Connie Cartmell
You don't have to be a mother to know the fear Jeanann Hartman felt eight years ago when her 6-year-old daughter, Nikki Neville, was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.
The news was overwhelming.
"When I first found out, I was very upset," Hartman, of Cutler, said. "I still worry, and I feel like I nag her a lot."
This mom worries that when her daughter is old enough to move away from home, that she won't take good care of herself and terrible complications will result.
In Type 1 diabetes, a person's pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone necessary to sustain life. Insulin must be taken, usually by daily injection, to maintain the proper glucose balance.
There are 17 million Americans with diabetes, 2 million diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. Of the total number of victims, there is one death every three minutes from diabetes. Juvenile, or Type 1 diabetes, often goes undiagnosed, while internal damage continues to ravage young victims. It is a growing health concern, receiving a lot of attention as more children are diagnosed at younger ages.
Several thousand Ohioans participated in a walk at Easton Mall in Columbus Sunday to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. A group from Marietta, including Neville, attended in support.
"The numbers of people there really impressed me," Tracey Huck, of Marietta, dean of students at Cutler and Bartlett elementary schools said. "There were a ring of 'walkers' all around the mall perimeter."
****
From the Munster, Ind., Times:
BY SUZANNA TUDOR
MERRILLVILLE -- More than 2,000 people took steps Sunday to help raise more than $325,000 for the Northwest Indiana Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Using names such as "Bobby's Buddies" and "Kady's Krusaders," friends and family members of youngsters stricken with the disease converged on Hidden Lake Park in Merrillville for the fifth annual Walk to Cure Diabetes.
The organization was founded in 1970 and sponsors more than 200 walks nationally. The local walk was started because of a mother's desire to help her daughter.
Kady Helmer, 14, of Western Springs, Ill., was diagnosed with Type I diabetes eight years ago.
"I felt there was a need for support from Northwest Indiana for juvenile diabetes research," said mother Kassy Helmer, 41.
****
From The Intelligencer of suburban Philadelphia, Pa.:
At 8 years old, Kelly Bandish just wants to fit in.
She was diagnosed with Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes over the summer. This school year is different from the last because Kelly now has to visit the school nurse several times a day to check her blood-sugar level.
"I'm afraid people will think I'm different than the other kids. I'm afraid that they'll think I'm not the same," said Kelly, a third-grader at Mill Creek Elementary School in Warrington.
She plays soccer, softball and the violin. She loves animals. When she grows up, she wants to be a veterinarian.
Looking at her, no one would know she has diabetes. The daily insulin injections that Kelly gives herself serve as a reminder.
In Type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin, which is necessary for the body to be able to use sugar, according to the American Diabetes Association Web site.
Kelly is asking for support as she participates in the Walk to Cure Diabetes on Oct. 31 in Fort Washington. She is hoping to raise $5,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
****
They go on and on and on. Thousands of kids just like our Shelby all over the country just trying to live a normal life with a disease that forces them to think about what their body is doing 24/7.
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Terrific Walk!
Wow! What a wonderful Walk to Cure Diabetes 2004! The weather was absolutely perfect. The turnout was great. And we here at Team Shelby HQ were once again humbled and thankful for our fantastic team!
We had about 60 Team Shelby walkers turn out this morning to join thousands of others at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek. Only a small group was able to get there early enough for the official picture, but when the walk stepped off at 9 a.m. the Team's pale yellow shirts were clearly evident among all the other family and corporate teams.
As of the end of registration this morning, Team Shelby had raised almost $7,000 to help find a cure for diabetes. That's a phenomenal figure! With more pledges still coming in, that amount is likely to grow even bigger. (It's never to late to mail in your donation to the JDRF!) As amazing as the money is, it's even more important the new people who joined the team this year and the untold hundreds who learned something about diabetes from our ever-expanding Team membership.
Our team is truly inspirational. We've heard some of the stories:
** The penny and coin drive at Van Nuys Elementary School that raised more than $400. Some 22 teachers were involved this year and another segment of classes has yet to participate.
** The staff of the Solano County Public Defender's Office that opened their hearts to the Team again this year with an amazing outpouring of support.
** The members of the classic car club that my West County Times colleague Mary Reiley belongs to who spontaneously donated $10 each over a desert social.
** The dozens of family members who were moved enough by what their Team member relatives were doing that they joined the Team themselves by telling their friends and associates about Team Shelby and the JDRF.
** The student body of Napa Junction Elementary School, especially Kindergarten Room K, Ms. Salsman and Mrs. Hansen. Ms. Salsman, Alex and Shelby's teacher, helped her class make signs for Alex and Shelby to carry in the walk signed and decorated by all their classmates. Then hundreds of kids at the school signed a wall-sized banner that read "Go Team Shelby!" The signatures and pictures were tremendous! We used the banner in our team picture and put it up at the post-walk BBQ.
These are just a few of the hundreds of extraordinary personal efforts that make Team Shelby amazing!
We had more Team members than ever come to the post-walk barbecue at our house. More than 35 people came over to share together in the success of our group effort. People of diverse backgrounds and experiences all coming together in the shared support of Team Shelby over barbecued chicken, burgers, hot dogs and a little Sunday afternoon football. We were particularly blessed this year to have Liz's family from Lompoc and Scott's family from Southern California travel up for the weekend.
I could go on for hours. But we'd also like to hear from Team members! By clicking on the 'comment' note at the end of this posting, you can add your thoughts about this year's Walk to Cure Diabetes for everyone to enjoy.
We handed out almost a dozen individual cameras at the walk and BBQ this year for Team members to take pictures. We're going to have those developed and post them up on the site as soon as possible. We'll send out a note when the pictures are available.
The walk is over for this year, but the fight against diabetes continues. Please come back to the site regularly for news and research updates. You'll also soon hear about an opportunity to support one Team member on his quest to launch the Team Shelby Bike Team with a spring time Ride to Cure Diabetes.
There is no way to adequately say 'thank you' to each and every one of you for your contribution to Team Shelby. Through financial support, thoughtful gestures, telling a friend or colleague about diabetes, and/or prayers and well wishes, each of you buoyed Team Shelby more than you, or we, could ever really know.
We had about 60 Team Shelby walkers turn out this morning to join thousands of others at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek. Only a small group was able to get there early enough for the official picture, but when the walk stepped off at 9 a.m. the Team's pale yellow shirts were clearly evident among all the other family and corporate teams.
As of the end of registration this morning, Team Shelby had raised almost $7,000 to help find a cure for diabetes. That's a phenomenal figure! With more pledges still coming in, that amount is likely to grow even bigger. (It's never to late to mail in your donation to the JDRF!) As amazing as the money is, it's even more important the new people who joined the team this year and the untold hundreds who learned something about diabetes from our ever-expanding Team membership.
Our team is truly inspirational. We've heard some of the stories:
** The penny and coin drive at Van Nuys Elementary School that raised more than $400. Some 22 teachers were involved this year and another segment of classes has yet to participate.
** The staff of the Solano County Public Defender's Office that opened their hearts to the Team again this year with an amazing outpouring of support.
** The members of the classic car club that my West County Times colleague Mary Reiley belongs to who spontaneously donated $10 each over a desert social.
** The dozens of family members who were moved enough by what their Team member relatives were doing that they joined the Team themselves by telling their friends and associates about Team Shelby and the JDRF.
** The student body of Napa Junction Elementary School, especially Kindergarten Room K, Ms. Salsman and Mrs. Hansen. Ms. Salsman, Alex and Shelby's teacher, helped her class make signs for Alex and Shelby to carry in the walk signed and decorated by all their classmates. Then hundreds of kids at the school signed a wall-sized banner that read "Go Team Shelby!" The signatures and pictures were tremendous! We used the banner in our team picture and put it up at the post-walk BBQ.
These are just a few of the hundreds of extraordinary personal efforts that make Team Shelby amazing!
We had more Team members than ever come to the post-walk barbecue at our house. More than 35 people came over to share together in the success of our group effort. People of diverse backgrounds and experiences all coming together in the shared support of Team Shelby over barbecued chicken, burgers, hot dogs and a little Sunday afternoon football. We were particularly blessed this year to have Liz's family from Lompoc and Scott's family from Southern California travel up for the weekend.
I could go on for hours. But we'd also like to hear from Team members! By clicking on the 'comment' note at the end of this posting, you can add your thoughts about this year's Walk to Cure Diabetes for everyone to enjoy.
We handed out almost a dozen individual cameras at the walk and BBQ this year for Team members to take pictures. We're going to have those developed and post them up on the site as soon as possible. We'll send out a note when the pictures are available.
The walk is over for this year, but the fight against diabetes continues. Please come back to the site regularly for news and research updates. You'll also soon hear about an opportunity to support one Team member on his quest to launch the Team Shelby Bike Team with a spring time Ride to Cure Diabetes.
There is no way to adequately say 'thank you' to each and every one of you for your contribution to Team Shelby. Through financial support, thoughtful gestures, telling a friend or colleague about diabetes, and/or prayers and well wishes, each of you buoyed Team Shelby more than you, or we, could ever really know.
Saturday, September 25, 2004
The Final Push
We are just days from the walk.
Here are details to remember:
1. Start rounding up last-minute donors so proceeds can be turned in Oct. 3. Convert any cash donations to checks payable to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. No cash can be accepted on walk day.
2. It's never too late to donate. Any gifts that come in after Oct. 3 can be sent directly to the JDRF San Francisco office.
3. Because we have an awesome team, we qualify for not only our own check-in table on walk day but an official team photo. Our photo time is 8 a.m. Get there bright and early so you don't miss the picture.
4. T-shirts are coming in this week. We'll distribute them as quickly as possible after we get them.
5. Have fun! The walk is a tremendous time of inspiration. It's amazing to see thousands of people coming together to support a cause so close to all of our hearts.
Thanks for all of your love and support. We couldn't do what we do everyday for Shelby and the JDRF could not work to find a cure without all of your support.
Keep coming back to our site. After the walk, we'll post a new round of great photos. You'll continue to get the latest news and information about the team and the fight against diabetes all year long.
Here are details to remember:
1. Start rounding up last-minute donors so proceeds can be turned in Oct. 3. Convert any cash donations to checks payable to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. No cash can be accepted on walk day.
2. It's never too late to donate. Any gifts that come in after Oct. 3 can be sent directly to the JDRF San Francisco office.
3. Because we have an awesome team, we qualify for not only our own check-in table on walk day but an official team photo. Our photo time is 8 a.m. Get there bright and early so you don't miss the picture.
4. T-shirts are coming in this week. We'll distribute them as quickly as possible after we get them.
5. Have fun! The walk is a tremendous time of inspiration. It's amazing to see thousands of people coming together to support a cause so close to all of our hearts.
Thanks for all of your love and support. We couldn't do what we do everyday for Shelby and the JDRF could not work to find a cure without all of your support.
Keep coming back to our site. After the walk, we'll post a new round of great photos. You'll continue to get the latest news and information about the team and the fight against diabetes all year long.
Saturday, September 04, 2004
Fund-raising tip: Leverage your donations
Corporate matching grants is one of the best ways to maximize the donations you collect so Team Shelby can support the JDRF.
Many employers have programs that will partially match donations made by their employees to philanthropic causes. While many companies have such policies, employees often have to ask about them for the door to swing open. Use your fundraising letter to make your pitch. You also can note that the JDRF has been very well rated by the American Institute of Philanthropy for its responsible use of donations.
Some companies have cut back on their donations as the economy has hit some rough spots. But it never hurts to ask. Others budget the money the use it for other purposes at the end of the year when it goes unspent. Normally, the human resources department is the repository for this type of information.
The bottom line: You can't take advantage of planned/budgeted corporate giving unless you ask.
If anyone gets a corporate matching grant, please let us know. We will be more than happy to spread the good news about that responsive corporate citizen with our ever-growing online audience.
Good luck!
Many employers have programs that will partially match donations made by their employees to philanthropic causes. While many companies have such policies, employees often have to ask about them for the door to swing open. Use your fundraising letter to make your pitch. You also can note that the JDRF has been very well rated by the American Institute of Philanthropy for its responsible use of donations.
Some companies have cut back on their donations as the economy has hit some rough spots. But it never hurts to ask. Others budget the money the use it for other purposes at the end of the year when it goes unspent. Normally, the human resources department is the repository for this type of information.
The bottom line: You can't take advantage of planned/budgeted corporate giving unless you ask.
If anyone gets a corporate matching grant, please let us know. We will be more than happy to spread the good news about that responsive corporate citizen with our ever-growing online audience.
Good luck!
What your donations do
Here's an example of what the JDRF does with the money Team Shelby raises. We are a vital part of a much larger global effort.
See more examples in the Research Corner.
August 23, 2004
BOSTON-The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and Harvard Medical School today announced the opening of the JDRF Center for Immunological Tolerance in Type 1 Diabetes at Harvard Medical School, Generously Supported by Marshalls Ten Year Partnership with JDRF.
The Center was developed because advances in the immune tolerance area are critical for finding better treatments, and eventually a cure, for type 1 diabetes. The primary goals of the JDRF Center for Immunological Tolerance at Harvard Medical School are:
* understanding how immunological tolerance breaks down to provoke type 1 diabetes
* learning how to re-establish tolerance in order to prevent or cure type 1 diabetes, in particular via islet transplantation
* providing a framework for integrating basic research and clinical endeavors focused on islet transplantation
* serving as a magnet for research on immunological tolerance in type 1 diabetes at Harvard Medical School and its affiliated hospitals, and in the Boston area more generally
* becoming a reservoir for new technologies and resources to service the worldwide community of type 1 diabetes researchers.
The new Center will be supported by JDRF with a three-year grant of approximately $5 million.
"We are excited about tackling the critical and very complicated area of immune tolerance," says Raphael Dolin, M.D., Dean for Academic and Clinical Programs at Harvard Medical School. "The Center's scientists are dedicated to learning more about immune tolerance and are acutely aware of its potential impact on islet transplantation, which is a very promising strategy for treating and potentially curing diabetes. We are honored to be working with JDRF to help find a cure for type 1 diabetes."
See more examples in the Research Corner.
August 23, 2004
BOSTON-The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and Harvard Medical School today announced the opening of the JDRF Center for Immunological Tolerance in Type 1 Diabetes at Harvard Medical School, Generously Supported by Marshalls Ten Year Partnership with JDRF.
The Center was developed because advances in the immune tolerance area are critical for finding better treatments, and eventually a cure, for type 1 diabetes. The primary goals of the JDRF Center for Immunological Tolerance at Harvard Medical School are:
* understanding how immunological tolerance breaks down to provoke type 1 diabetes
* learning how to re-establish tolerance in order to prevent or cure type 1 diabetes, in particular via islet transplantation
* providing a framework for integrating basic research and clinical endeavors focused on islet transplantation
* serving as a magnet for research on immunological tolerance in type 1 diabetes at Harvard Medical School and its affiliated hospitals, and in the Boston area more generally
* becoming a reservoir for new technologies and resources to service the worldwide community of type 1 diabetes researchers.
The new Center will be supported by JDRF with a three-year grant of approximately $5 million.
"We are excited about tackling the critical and very complicated area of immune tolerance," says Raphael Dolin, M.D., Dean for Academic and Clinical Programs at Harvard Medical School. "The Center's scientists are dedicated to learning more about immune tolerance and are acutely aware of its potential impact on islet transplantation, which is a very promising strategy for treating and potentially curing diabetes. We are honored to be working with JDRF to help find a cure for type 1 diabetes."
Friday, September 03, 2004
Go Team Shelby!
Team Shelby was mentioned somewhat prominently in the JDRF Bay Area weekly walk team captain update on Thursday.
Not only did they thank us for turning in a sample fundraising letter, we have the second highest advance walker registration so far with 29 walkers. Way to go!
In the past two years, all of you - Team Shelby - raised more than $10,000 to help the JDRF find a cure! Told you all those small checks and pennies add up! We have a fairly ambitious goal this year, but we can make it!
The East Bay walk is on Oct. 3, which is coming up fast. If you have registered yet, please follow the link at the left to do so. You can also sponsor a registered walker through the same link! Tip: Shelby is a registered walker.
If any team members need help remembering who supported their fundraising last year, drop us a line. We have that information and can get it out to you quickly
Liz is heading up the T-shirt orders. Write to us and we can get a shirt shipped out to you. We have a couple different styles. It's a great way to show year around support for the Team! Even if you can't make the walk!
The JDRF update also plugged our Web site! It's our first, official outside the team plug!
Just for some friendly competition: Sal Pal's, another East Bay family team, has 99 walkers already! They did really well last year, too. As the walk come closer there are usually some really tremendous sudden surges!
Keep up the good work. You are all amazing. We couldn't push forward without knowing the tremendous support network we have in all of you.
Not only did they thank us for turning in a sample fundraising letter, we have the second highest advance walker registration so far with 29 walkers. Way to go!
In the past two years, all of you - Team Shelby - raised more than $10,000 to help the JDRF find a cure! Told you all those small checks and pennies add up! We have a fairly ambitious goal this year, but we can make it!
The East Bay walk is on Oct. 3, which is coming up fast. If you have registered yet, please follow the link at the left to do so. You can also sponsor a registered walker through the same link! Tip: Shelby is a registered walker.
If any team members need help remembering who supported their fundraising last year, drop us a line. We have that information and can get it out to you quickly
Liz is heading up the T-shirt orders. Write to us and we can get a shirt shipped out to you. We have a couple different styles. It's a great way to show year around support for the Team! Even if you can't make the walk!
The JDRF update also plugged our Web site! It's our first, official outside the team plug!
Just for some friendly competition: Sal Pal's, another East Bay family team, has 99 walkers already! They did really well last year, too. As the walk come closer there are usually some really tremendous sudden surges!
Keep up the good work. You are all amazing. We couldn't push forward without knowing the tremendous support network we have in all of you.
Off to School
Frequent visitors probably have wondered, "What's going on with Shelby these days?" You've also probably wondered why things haven't been updated on the site lately.
Well, the answer to those questions are inter-related.....We've started kindergarten!
Shelby and her twin brother Alex have been in school now for almost three weeks. There's been tons of excitement and new experiences, friends, teachers and routines. They love kindergarten. For Shelby, she's finally in the place she's talked about for more than a year!
We really think they are in a good place to get the academic training they need.
However, entering the public school system, even a good district, for the first time presented more challenges than we expected. Frankly, the school was less prepared for Shelby and providing the type of care she needs than we thought they would be. There are lots of reasons great and small for this, which we'll get into at some point in the future. But Liz and I have spent a lot of time working with our principal, teacher and school nurse to work out a formal plan structuring Shelby's day at school. Let's just say it was terrific to go to back to school night this week and talk about academics rather than negotiating a medical regimen.
That's part of the reason for the lack of regular Web site updates lately, too. But the real problem is that putting this site together and thinking of new and useful stuff for it is a ton of fun. I could spend all day on this. The problem is I have the proverbial day job and I have to sleep at some point. I can really see how people get addicted to this stuff!
Well, the answer to those questions are inter-related.....We've started kindergarten!
Shelby and her twin brother Alex have been in school now for almost three weeks. There's been tons of excitement and new experiences, friends, teachers and routines. They love kindergarten. For Shelby, she's finally in the place she's talked about for more than a year!
We really think they are in a good place to get the academic training they need.
However, entering the public school system, even a good district, for the first time presented more challenges than we expected. Frankly, the school was less prepared for Shelby and providing the type of care she needs than we thought they would be. There are lots of reasons great and small for this, which we'll get into at some point in the future. But Liz and I have spent a lot of time working with our principal, teacher and school nurse to work out a formal plan structuring Shelby's day at school. Let's just say it was terrific to go to back to school night this week and talk about academics rather than negotiating a medical regimen.
That's part of the reason for the lack of regular Web site updates lately, too. But the real problem is that putting this site together and thinking of new and useful stuff for it is a ton of fun. I could spend all day on this. The problem is I have the proverbial day job and I have to sleep at some point. I can really see how people get addicted to this stuff!
Thursday, September 02, 2004
On TV
For Team members in the Bay Area and environs, there will be a television segment on the JDRF walk this month.
The good folks at the JDRF Bay Area office wrote:
"Cal-Hi Sports will air a story on Swimmer/Golfer Andrea Sarti a type 1 diabetic from Carondelet High School on the show September 5 at 4:30 on KRON 4. The story will be replayed on September 6 at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports Net."
Sometimes seeing another person's story first-hand can be pretty inspiring, particularly when its a teen who is living a 'normal' life with diabetes. Important thign to remember: People with diabetes can do just about anything. They just need to plan ahead and really think about what those activities mean for their lives.
The good folks at the JDRF Bay Area office wrote:
"Cal-Hi Sports will air a story on Swimmer/Golfer Andrea Sarti a type 1 diabetic from Carondelet High School on the show September 5 at 4:30 on KRON 4. The story will be replayed on September 6 at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports Net."
Sometimes seeing another person's story first-hand can be pretty inspiring, particularly when its a teen who is living a 'normal' life with diabetes. Important thign to remember: People with diabetes can do just about anything. They just need to plan ahead and really think about what those activities mean for their lives.
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Iacocca's challenge
The longer we're involved with the JDRF and the battle against diabetes, the more we learn about others who refused to sit by and wait for the government and partisan politics to solve this problem. Personally, I think that's one of the most outstanding features of this community: We can do this ourselves.
The JDRF is a conduit we support because it helps regular people join the fight. Former Chrystler chief and philanthropist Lee Iacocca announced his own separate initiative this week. It's a case study in what the determination of one well-known man can do. Here's the press release:
Lee Iacocca announced today the launch of “Join Lee Now,” a fundraising initiative to investigate a potential cure for type 1 diabetes. In the 1980s, Lee Iacocca spearheaded a $500 million campaign to reopen the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Now, 20 years later, he is going back to the American people to raise $11 million to fund a potential cure for type 1 diabetes. Mr. Iacocca will be announcing his new initiative, www.joinleenow.org, on Monday August 16th in New York City. The funds raised as part of this initiative will be separate from the giving the Iacocca Foundation currently contributes to diabetes research and will go directly to support the clinical trials investigating this potential cure at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
“Since the death of my wife in 1983 from the complications of diabetes, I have been driven to do everything I can to fund diabetes research. Last year, one of the researchers we have supported for over a decade cured type 1 diabetes in mice. I’m not going to wait for the government or the pharmaceutical industry to decide to get the human trials going. We need $11 million for these clinical trials now. I’ve given the first million and I’m asking the American people to get behind me and give the rest,” said Lee Iacocca, Chairman of the Iacocca Foundation.
Dr. David Nathan, one of this country’s trial experts, will direct the clinical trials at MGH. Dr Denise Faustman’s initial work, which cured type 1 diabetes in mice, was largely funded by donations from the Iacocca Foundation. MGH is working with the Food and Drug Administration to move this science into human clinical trials. Lee Iacocca and the Iacocca Foundation are working closely with MGH to ensure the $11 million goal is met for the next phase of this research.
“Lee Iacocca and his foundation have made this research possible, beginning at the earliest stages and through our recent breakthrough. The Massachusetts General Hospital and I are honored and excited that he has offered to make this tremendous contribution and commitment to our research,” said Dr. Denise Faustman, Director of the MGH Immunobiology Laboratory.
“In the 1980s, they said that ordinary Americans wouldn't send checks to refurbish Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. They were wrong. I received lots of checks, big and small, from people all over the world and we achieved our goal. We can do it again,” said Lee Iacocca, Chairman of the Iacocca Foundation.
The JDRF is a conduit we support because it helps regular people join the fight. Former Chrystler chief and philanthropist Lee Iacocca announced his own separate initiative this week. It's a case study in what the determination of one well-known man can do. Here's the press release:
Lee Iacocca announced today the launch of “Join Lee Now,” a fundraising initiative to investigate a potential cure for type 1 diabetes. In the 1980s, Lee Iacocca spearheaded a $500 million campaign to reopen the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Now, 20 years later, he is going back to the American people to raise $11 million to fund a potential cure for type 1 diabetes. Mr. Iacocca will be announcing his new initiative, www.joinleenow.org, on Monday August 16th in New York City. The funds raised as part of this initiative will be separate from the giving the Iacocca Foundation currently contributes to diabetes research and will go directly to support the clinical trials investigating this potential cure at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
“Since the death of my wife in 1983 from the complications of diabetes, I have been driven to do everything I can to fund diabetes research. Last year, one of the researchers we have supported for over a decade cured type 1 diabetes in mice. I’m not going to wait for the government or the pharmaceutical industry to decide to get the human trials going. We need $11 million for these clinical trials now. I’ve given the first million and I’m asking the American people to get behind me and give the rest,” said Lee Iacocca, Chairman of the Iacocca Foundation.
Dr. David Nathan, one of this country’s trial experts, will direct the clinical trials at MGH. Dr Denise Faustman’s initial work, which cured type 1 diabetes in mice, was largely funded by donations from the Iacocca Foundation. MGH is working with the Food and Drug Administration to move this science into human clinical trials. Lee Iacocca and the Iacocca Foundation are working closely with MGH to ensure the $11 million goal is met for the next phase of this research.
“Lee Iacocca and his foundation have made this research possible, beginning at the earliest stages and through our recent breakthrough. The Massachusetts General Hospital and I are honored and excited that he has offered to make this tremendous contribution and commitment to our research,” said Dr. Denise Faustman, Director of the MGH Immunobiology Laboratory.
“In the 1980s, they said that ordinary Americans wouldn't send checks to refurbish Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. They were wrong. I received lots of checks, big and small, from people all over the world and we achieved our goal. We can do it again,” said Lee Iacocca, Chairman of the Iacocca Foundation.
Friday, August 13, 2004
Treatment blocks Type I diabetes in mice
There's been some exciting news on the research front: a possible key to blocking Type I diabetes has been found.
Here's a quick take (click the link above for a fuller release and a link to the actual research report)
From the JDRF:
JDRF-funded researchers have identified a protein on immune T cells that triggers type 1 diabetes in mice when it interacts with another protein found in cells of the pancreas. The scientists report that blocking the interaction prevents the disease without compromising normal immune defenses or causing measurable side effects.
The finding points to a possible strategy for preventing type 1 diabetes in humans, since the mouse T cell protein has a counterpart in the human immune system.
When the scientists used antibodies to prevent the protein of interest from binding its receptor, the mice were completely protected from the disease. (The effect is like plugging a keyhole so that even the correct key won’t turn the ignition). “You don’t need a calculator to tell the treatment group from the placebo group. It’s 100 percent effective,” said Lewis Lanier, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), in a press statement.
The researchers expect that a “humanized” antibody, working in a similar manner, could provide an effective type 1 diabetes treatment in people. The finding is important, because unlike other treatments reported in mice, this therapy was effective even when given relatively late in disease progression.
Here's a quick take (click the link above for a fuller release and a link to the actual research report)
From the JDRF:
JDRF-funded researchers have identified a protein on immune T cells that triggers type 1 diabetes in mice when it interacts with another protein found in cells of the pancreas. The scientists report that blocking the interaction prevents the disease without compromising normal immune defenses or causing measurable side effects.
The finding points to a possible strategy for preventing type 1 diabetes in humans, since the mouse T cell protein has a counterpart in the human immune system.
When the scientists used antibodies to prevent the protein of interest from binding its receptor, the mice were completely protected from the disease. (The effect is like plugging a keyhole so that even the correct key won’t turn the ignition). “You don’t need a calculator to tell the treatment group from the placebo group. It’s 100 percent effective,” said Lewis Lanier, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), in a press statement.
The researchers expect that a “humanized” antibody, working in a similar manner, could provide an effective type 1 diabetes treatment in people. The finding is important, because unlike other treatments reported in mice, this therapy was effective even when given relatively late in disease progression.
Amazing response!
Since we put up this little 'blog' site, we've had more than 200 visitors!
We here at the Team Shelby HQ are counting that as a HUGE success!
We put this up and weren't sure what any of you would think, or if anyone would actually come to the site more than once or get anything out of it. We're so glad it has hit a chord with so many of you.
That is sure to only spread in the coming weeks and months. Please bookmark us, if you haven't already, and come back often. If you run a site of your own, link to us. Let us know so we can check out your site and add a link ourselves.
We're not a big, fancy Web presence, nor are we a big, fancy organization. We're just doing what we believe is right to be the best parents we can be.
Anyone who wants to be included on the Team Shelby e-mail list, write us at teamshelby@yahoo.com
We here at the Team Shelby HQ are counting that as a HUGE success!
We put this up and weren't sure what any of you would think, or if anyone would actually come to the site more than once or get anything out of it. We're so glad it has hit a chord with so many of you.
That is sure to only spread in the coming weeks and months. Please bookmark us, if you haven't already, and come back often. If you run a site of your own, link to us. Let us know so we can check out your site and add a link ourselves.
We're not a big, fancy Web presence, nor are we a big, fancy organization. We're just doing what we believe is right to be the best parents we can be.
Anyone who wants to be included on the Team Shelby e-mail list, write us at teamshelby@yahoo.com
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Shelby & Bill Robinson
The kick-off luncheon was inspirational, to say the least. With this year's theme being "Go for the cure!", it was easy to get into the spirit of the Olympics and "join the JDRF challenge and discover the power of VICTORY!"
Bill Robinson, Sr Vice President and General Manager of Pepsi Bottling Co gave an fantastic speech about how he and Pepsi are inspired by what the JDRF is doing with research and will continue to be our corporate sponsor. The employees of Pepsi have formed smaller teams within the company and are all competing to see who can raise the most money!
We also heard from an amazing woman who told the story of how she lost her father when she was only 14 to Type I diabetes. Of course, back then there wasn't much in the way of treatment and I'm sure many people found out much later in life that they had the disease allowing for advanced complications. Then, she talked about her stepson who is married to an amazing woman who is also afflicted with Type I and the two of them have an adorable baby boy who was diagnosed at 9 months.
Even with research coming as far as it has, it's difficult to monitor BG (blood glucose) in such a small baby. Ugh!
As Shelby, Alex and I were picking up all of our fund-raising supplies, Bill Robinson stopped Shelby to admire her "Team Shelby" shirt. They chatted for a long while when I finally said, "Shelby, do you know who this is? He's the President of Pepsi! His company makes Diet Pepsi." She thought that was very cool. He indulged us with a picture and afterward Shelby said, "Wow mommy, I can't believe that I had my picture taken with THE PRESIDENT!" Gulp. Too cute!
He's a fabulous speaker and a charming man.
Needless to say, we were all determined by the end of the luncheon to GO FOR THE GOLD!
Donate online
The real webmasters over at the JDRF have made this REALLY easy.
Here's our 'how to":
Go to JDRF.org walk page. You can also get there through the main page and click on the walking shoe link at the right labeled "Walk to Cure Diabetes"
Under the "support a walker" feature you can type in the name and find that person.
When the name comes up, click on it and a page will come up that says "Alex Corey is walking with Team Shelby (Corey) on October 22, 2005 in Napa Valley, CA."
Liz, Scott, Alex and Shelby are all registered.
There are buttons to "Support this walker" to donate online or "join the team" to register for the walk yourself.
It's VERY easy.
If something goes wrong, write Team Shelby Fundraising guru Liz.
Here's our 'how to":
Go to JDRF.org walk page. You can also get there through the main page and click on the walking shoe link at the right labeled "Walk to Cure Diabetes"
Under the "support a walker" feature you can type in the name and find that person.
When the name comes up, click on it and a page will come up that says "Alex Corey is walking with Team Shelby (Corey) on October 22, 2005 in Napa Valley, CA."
Liz, Scott, Alex and Shelby are all registered.
There are buttons to "Support this walker" to donate online or "join the team" to register for the walk yourself.
It's VERY easy.
If something goes wrong, write Team Shelby Fundraising guru Liz.
Friday, August 06, 2004
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting our brand new Team Shelby web site!
This is the first of what we hope is a series of exciting additions to the Team Shelby experience for 2004.
This is truly a labor of love intended to make it easier for you -- the members of Team Shelby -- to get information about diabetes, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and what we're up to here at Team Shelby.
Today is the kickoff of 2004 fund-raising for Team Shelby and the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes being held in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Oct. 3. Team representatives gathered today at the Marriott hotel in San Ramon, Calif., along with hundreds of people from the walk's corporate sponsors to launch the 2004 campaign. We'll post more information about the kickoff after Liz returns.
The Team Shelby webmaster (Scott) will update this site regularly from Team Shelby HQ (our laundry room/office) with fund-raising tips, news about the latest in diabetes research, and other information to keep everyone plugged in. We hope this site will be both fun and informative. It may even give you cause to pause and reflect from time to time on the inherent challenges in fighting diabetes.
We've created this as a 'blog' so anyone can comment on any of the 'posts' listed here. We hope you all will feel free to participate in this site and send us your thoughts and questions. From time to time, we'll post answers to common questions and links to resources to help you both feel comfortable as a team member and arm you with the accurate information you need to share with your family, friends and co-workers.
This is going to be an amazing year for Team Shelby. We're all very excited about the Olympic theme of this year's campaign.
Thanks again for visiting our site. Come back often and refer the URL to anyone you feel may be interested in Team Shelby.
This is the first of what we hope is a series of exciting additions to the Team Shelby experience for 2004.
This is truly a labor of love intended to make it easier for you -- the members of Team Shelby -- to get information about diabetes, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and what we're up to here at Team Shelby.
Today is the kickoff of 2004 fund-raising for Team Shelby and the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes being held in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Oct. 3. Team representatives gathered today at the Marriott hotel in San Ramon, Calif., along with hundreds of people from the walk's corporate sponsors to launch the 2004 campaign. We'll post more information about the kickoff after Liz returns.
The Team Shelby webmaster (Scott) will update this site regularly from Team Shelby HQ (our laundry room/office) with fund-raising tips, news about the latest in diabetes research, and other information to keep everyone plugged in. We hope this site will be both fun and informative. It may even give you cause to pause and reflect from time to time on the inherent challenges in fighting diabetes.
We've created this as a 'blog' so anyone can comment on any of the 'posts' listed here. We hope you all will feel free to participate in this site and send us your thoughts and questions. From time to time, we'll post answers to common questions and links to resources to help you both feel comfortable as a team member and arm you with the accurate information you need to share with your family, friends and co-workers.
This is going to be an amazing year for Team Shelby. We're all very excited about the Olympic theme of this year's campaign.
Thanks again for visiting our site. Come back often and refer the URL to anyone you feel may be interested in Team Shelby.
Thursday, August 05, 2004
We're pumping!
The biggest advance in Shelby's Diabetes treatment has been the transition from shots to an insulin pump. It's a little like going from a bicycle to a motorcycle.
Since she was diagnosed almost three years ago, we've been giving Shelby insulin through shots. A while back we went from the trusty old syringe to an insulin pen, which doesn't require that we draw insulin from a vial. But Shelby still was getting up to 10 injections a day in the top of her hip, the back of her arms or the fronts of her legs. You also can give injections in the fat layer in the abdomen, but a 45-pound 5 year old doesn't have much of a fat layer there.
Though she is a trooper, getting 10 shots a day is a major pain and a major inconvenience. Imagine having to remember to carry all the stuff with you then find inconspicuous ways to give your child an injection at the mall. It also produced problems at school where not only are we dealing with staff that isn't trained on giving shots but other kids for whom syringes and needles pose a safety issue.
The state-of-the-art solution to the problem is an insulin pump. (We have some details about it in the Diabetes FAQs.) The idea of the pump is to eliminate the injections by placing a catheter under the skin and constantly deliver required insulin through a small, pager-sized computer and insulin reservoir she wears all the time.
Not only is the pump more precise, it also remembers when to give her insulin, so her baseline blood glucose levels are more even. It also has a really cool feature that helps us calculate how much to give her. All we have to put in is how many carbohyrdates she eats and her blood glucose level. The pump calculates how much she needs, even taking into account how much insulin is still active in her body. It is totally cool!
The pump also will be much easier to manage when she starts kindergarten later this month. There won't be any of those pesky needles schools don't allow on campus or the risk that some kid will decide he or she wants to shoot up WAY too much insulin to see what it feels like. The pump also has safety features to protect Shelby from mischievous fingers or accidentally giving herself too much medicine.
We've been at this now for almost a month. We are all getting very comfortable with it and her blood glucose readings are beginning to show the signs of a successful transition.
Since she was diagnosed almost three years ago, we've been giving Shelby insulin through shots. A while back we went from the trusty old syringe to an insulin pen, which doesn't require that we draw insulin from a vial. But Shelby still was getting up to 10 injections a day in the top of her hip, the back of her arms or the fronts of her legs. You also can give injections in the fat layer in the abdomen, but a 45-pound 5 year old doesn't have much of a fat layer there.
Though she is a trooper, getting 10 shots a day is a major pain and a major inconvenience. Imagine having to remember to carry all the stuff with you then find inconspicuous ways to give your child an injection at the mall. It also produced problems at school where not only are we dealing with staff that isn't trained on giving shots but other kids for whom syringes and needles pose a safety issue.
The state-of-the-art solution to the problem is an insulin pump. (We have some details about it in the Diabetes FAQs.) The idea of the pump is to eliminate the injections by placing a catheter under the skin and constantly deliver required insulin through a small, pager-sized computer and insulin reservoir she wears all the time.
Not only is the pump more precise, it also remembers when to give her insulin, so her baseline blood glucose levels are more even. It also has a really cool feature that helps us calculate how much to give her. All we have to put in is how many carbohyrdates she eats and her blood glucose level. The pump calculates how much she needs, even taking into account how much insulin is still active in her body. It is totally cool!
The pump also will be much easier to manage when she starts kindergarten later this month. There won't be any of those pesky needles schools don't allow on campus or the risk that some kid will decide he or she wants to shoot up WAY too much insulin to see what it feels like. The pump also has safety features to protect Shelby from mischievous fingers or accidentally giving herself too much medicine.
We've been at this now for almost a month. We are all getting very comfortable with it and her blood glucose readings are beginning to show the signs of a successful transition.
Sunday, August 01, 2004
Diabetes FAQs
There is so much to know about diabetes. We've been at this know for nearly three years and still feel like we've only just scratched the surface of what there is to know. Nearly everyday, we get word of a new line of research or a new discovery that is made to better understand even the most basic elements of cause and progression for this disease.
Our goal here is to answer some of the initial questions many people ask. For those on Team Shelby who are soliciting new supporters, this can offer some good information to share with people who have wildly wrong or outdated conceptions of diabetes. For others, it's a good place to check back on every so often to be reminded of those things you already know but might have just forgotten.
Most of all, this is not meant to be medical advice. This is just what we've learned and how we understand this disease that our daughter lives with every day. If you or someone you know has diabetes or is showing any symptoms, seek medical advice immediately about your specific condition.
9. An insulin pump is basically an artificial
Diabetes is a malfunction of the body's insulin response system. The pancreas creates a hormone called insulin to assist the cells of the body to take in glucose, or simple sugar contained in everything we eat. Glucose is used to fuel the cells and allow them to carry out their work, from fighting disease to regular growth and development to supporting normal brain function. But cells can't take up the glucose they need without insulin, which acts as a gatekeeper allowing the glucose to enter the cells. For a variety of reasons, some people don't produce enough insulin or require more than their pancreas can produce. When there is a shortage of insulin, the glucose builds up in the bloodstream, creating a condition we often call high blood sugar. The short-circuiting of the insulin response is called diabetes.
Back to questions
We hear a lot today about the exponential growth of diabetes cases in America. It's linked to soft drinks at school, people whom never exercise and those who just plain eat too much. Experts are regularly on the news talking about how America's obesity epidemic is causing the rising in diabetes cases. What they are talking about is known as Type II diabetes. It is the form of diabetes that the American Diabetes Association focuses on. It is usually found in older people, those who have unhealthy lifestyles or those whose pancreas is still making insulin but it's just not enough.
Type I diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes, is much different. While the symptoms and many of the treatments are similar to those for Type II, someone with Type I diabetes has a pancreas that produces no insulin. For reasons that are still the subject of robust research, the white blood cells attack and kill the islets in the pancreas that make insulin. We posted a research development on that in July.
The differentiation is necessary because the treatments used for each kind is much different. In those with Type II diabetes, lifestyle changes are often the first line of treatment. If doctors can get that person's lifestyle to match his or her body, with some minor medical interventions, the symptoms often subside or disappear. However, those with Type I diabetes need an exterior source of insulin to maintain proper bodily functions. That difference provides a host of lifelong challenges for the person with Type I.
Back to questions
The name seems to suggest that this is a temporary or childhood condition that will go away as the body matures. But that is not the case. The term "juvenile" in this case refers to when the disease is most often first discovered. The vast majority of those with Type I develop it before they are teens. Shelby was diagnosed just before her third birthday. We've heard of some case where infants as young as 6 months have been diagnosed.
Type I diabetes is a lifelong condition.
Back to questions
Absolutely! In fact, she loves ice cream, cake and just about every type of chocolate.
The key is keeping track of how much she eats and giving enough insulin to allow her body to absorb it without triggering high blood sugar. We do some things that are easy and just make sense to us. For example, she drinks diet soda instead of the sugary kind to save having to deal with the 41 grams of carbohydrate in one can of regular soda. Heck, that's equal to almost 3 cups of fresh watermelon, which is a whole lot of watermelon.
Before there were advanced types of injectable insulin that reacted quickly and blood glucose monitoring was streamlined, adjusting insulin levels to match the high carbohydrate content of most sweets was very hard. Sugar-free everything was the order of the day. For some with Type II diabetes that's still the case, mostly because they are trying to control their disease with diet. For a child with Type I diabetes, our treatment team advocates counting the carbohydrates in what Shelby eats, then compensating with the appropriate amount of insulin.
Shelby absolutely eats everything any other child does.
Back to questions
In a word, no. Insulin is a natural hormone everyone needs to metabolize nutrients properly. Insulin shots are a crude substitute for what the body usually does on an on-going basis.
At least 8 times a day, Shelby pricks her finger to get a small amount of blood that is used in her glucose monitor to measure her blood sugar, or blood glucose, levels. The monitor we use requires only a small drop of blood and takes 5 seconds to give a reading.
We use that reading to calculate how much she may need to eat or drink and how much insulin to give her to keep her readings in the normal range, between 70 and 120.
While the prick is not a walk in the park, it isn't incredibly painful. Shelby usually sleeps through the tests we have to do at 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Back to questions
Those are the fancy medical terms for what we call "low" and "high" blood sugar.
The normal blood glucose reading is between 70 and 120. Any number below 70 is called hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. When this happens, Shelby's skin tends to get clammy and pale, her speech becomes slurred and unfocused, her hands might start shaking, or she may become irrationally emotional. Have you ever been in the middle of a major project and worked through lunch? Pretty soon you feel kind of rundown, confused and perhaps nauseous? That's hypoglycemia. If left untreated, someone with diabetes can go unconscious.
On the other end of the range is hyperglycemia or high blood sugar. Readings over 120 indicate that the body isn't absorbing nutrients properly. The immediate indicators of this condition are sometimes hyperactivity, uncontrollable thirst and urination, and nausea. While someone with diabetes rarely blacks out from hyperglycemia, if this condition is not controlled it can produce irreversible, long-term complications, such as kidney failure, blindness and circulatory problems.
Back to questions
An insulin pump in a device about the size of a pager that is worn under clothes that houses a supply of fast-acting insulin. A small catheter connects the computerized device to the patient. The pump can be programmed to deliver a steady flow of insulin constantly and enables a quick and painless way to deliver an additional dose, called a bolus, after meals or when the blood sugar is running high.
Using a pump eliminates the need to give numerous shots to deliver required insulin. The location where the catheter is inserted is changed once every three days, far better than having to take up to 10 shots a day. The pump also reduces the amount of gear someone with Type I diabetes has to carry around and eliminates the safety problems loose syringes can cause on school campuses.
Back to questions
The pump we recently got for Shelby is state of the art. It can be programmed in dozens of ways. But we still have to tell it what her blood sugar readings are and we still have to input how many carbohydrates she has eaten. While it's an major advance, it is not an independent artificial pancreas.
We've definitely come to respect the work the pancreas does. This one little organ, in conjunction with others inside all of us, measures how much carbohydrate we've eaten, how much activity we're engaged in and sends out the right amount of insulin to keep everything running smoothly. It is so efficient the most of us play sports, work in the yard, stroll to the store, gobble up pizza, slurp Starbuck's drinks and grab a quick bowl of ice cream as a treat without giving it a second thought. While someone with diabetes can do all those things, he or she has to think about each and every step of it and prepare accordingly.
Back to questions
There isn't one, yet.
Isn't that frustrating? You are faced with watching your 3-year-old having to deal with this disease, which could end her life prematurely or change her lifestyle in a million unimaginable ways, and there is no way to fix it.
That's what we wanted to do – just fix it. Give the magic pill. Make it go away. But we couldn't. The awful truth is there is no cure for Type I diabetes. In 1970, parents of children with juvenile diabetes felt just as frustrated and couldn't sit still and do nothing. So they formed the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation on the basic idea that Type I diabetes was a solvable puzzle if modern medical researchers had the tools and time to find that solution.
Since its inception, the JDRF has become the largest non-governmental funder of research into the causes and cures of Type I diabetes. The foundation has awarded more than $800 million to diabetes research, including more than $80 million in fiscal year 2003. That year alone, the foundation funded 500 research centers, grants and fellowships in 19 countries, according to its Web site. Results are coming in everyday from faster acting types of insulin to advanced insulin pumps to research into insulin islet transplants to isolating the genes that cause all of this in the first place.
We believe there will be a cure in Shelby's lifetime. We are determined to do everything we can to help. That's why we support the JDRF and ask our friends and family members to do the same. Finding a cure is the sole reason there is a Team Shelby.
Back to questions
Our goal here is to answer some of the initial questions many people ask. For those on Team Shelby who are soliciting new supporters, this can offer some good information to share with people who have wildly wrong or outdated conceptions of diabetes. For others, it's a good place to check back on every so often to be reminded of those things you already know but might have just forgotten.
Most of all, this is not meant to be medical advice. This is just what we've learned and how we understand this disease that our daughter lives with every day. If you or someone you know has diabetes or is showing any symptoms, seek medical advice immediately about your specific condition.
1. What is diabetes
2. Why the two types of diabetes?
3. Can you outgrow juvenile diabetes?
4. Can Shelby eat sweets?
5. Insulin is cure for Type I diabetes, right?
6. Why does Shelby prick her finger?
7. What are hypo- and hyperglycemia?
8. What does an insulin pump do?
9. An insulin pump is basically an artificial
pancreas, then?
10. What's the cure?
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a malfunction of the body's insulin response system. The pancreas creates a hormone called insulin to assist the cells of the body to take in glucose, or simple sugar contained in everything we eat. Glucose is used to fuel the cells and allow them to carry out their work, from fighting disease to regular growth and development to supporting normal brain function. But cells can't take up the glucose they need without insulin, which acts as a gatekeeper allowing the glucose to enter the cells. For a variety of reasons, some people don't produce enough insulin or require more than their pancreas can produce. When there is a shortage of insulin, the glucose builds up in the bloodstream, creating a condition we often call high blood sugar. The short-circuiting of the insulin response is called diabetes.
Back to questions
Why the two types of diabetes?
We hear a lot today about the exponential growth of diabetes cases in America. It's linked to soft drinks at school, people whom never exercise and those who just plain eat too much. Experts are regularly on the news talking about how America's obesity epidemic is causing the rising in diabetes cases. What they are talking about is known as Type II diabetes. It is the form of diabetes that the American Diabetes Association focuses on. It is usually found in older people, those who have unhealthy lifestyles or those whose pancreas is still making insulin but it's just not enough.
Type I diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes, is much different. While the symptoms and many of the treatments are similar to those for Type II, someone with Type I diabetes has a pancreas that produces no insulin. For reasons that are still the subject of robust research, the white blood cells attack and kill the islets in the pancreas that make insulin. We posted a research development on that in July.
The differentiation is necessary because the treatments used for each kind is much different. In those with Type II diabetes, lifestyle changes are often the first line of treatment. If doctors can get that person's lifestyle to match his or her body, with some minor medical interventions, the symptoms often subside or disappear. However, those with Type I diabetes need an exterior source of insulin to maintain proper bodily functions. That difference provides a host of lifelong challenges for the person with Type I.
Back to questions
Can you outgrow juvenile diabetes?
The name seems to suggest that this is a temporary or childhood condition that will go away as the body matures. But that is not the case. The term "juvenile" in this case refers to when the disease is most often first discovered. The vast majority of those with Type I develop it before they are teens. Shelby was diagnosed just before her third birthday. We've heard of some case where infants as young as 6 months have been diagnosed.
Type I diabetes is a lifelong condition.
Back to questions
Can Shelby eat sweets?
Absolutely! In fact, she loves ice cream, cake and just about every type of chocolate.
The key is keeping track of how much she eats and giving enough insulin to allow her body to absorb it without triggering high blood sugar. We do some things that are easy and just make sense to us. For example, she drinks diet soda instead of the sugary kind to save having to deal with the 41 grams of carbohydrate in one can of regular soda. Heck, that's equal to almost 3 cups of fresh watermelon, which is a whole lot of watermelon.
Before there were advanced types of injectable insulin that reacted quickly and blood glucose monitoring was streamlined, adjusting insulin levels to match the high carbohydrate content of most sweets was very hard. Sugar-free everything was the order of the day. For some with Type II diabetes that's still the case, mostly because they are trying to control their disease with diet. For a child with Type I diabetes, our treatment team advocates counting the carbohydrates in what Shelby eats, then compensating with the appropriate amount of insulin.
Shelby absolutely eats everything any other child does.
Back to questions
Insulin is cure for Type I diabetes, right?
In a word, no. Insulin is a natural hormone everyone needs to metabolize nutrients properly. Insulin shots are a crude substitute for what the body usually does on an on-going basis.
Why does Shelby prick her finger?
At least 8 times a day, Shelby pricks her finger to get a small amount of blood that is used in her glucose monitor to measure her blood sugar, or blood glucose, levels. The monitor we use requires only a small drop of blood and takes 5 seconds to give a reading.
We use that reading to calculate how much she may need to eat or drink and how much insulin to give her to keep her readings in the normal range, between 70 and 120.
While the prick is not a walk in the park, it isn't incredibly painful. Shelby usually sleeps through the tests we have to do at 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Back to questions
What are hypo- and hyperglycemia?
Those are the fancy medical terms for what we call "low" and "high" blood sugar.
The normal blood glucose reading is between 70 and 120. Any number below 70 is called hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. When this happens, Shelby's skin tends to get clammy and pale, her speech becomes slurred and unfocused, her hands might start shaking, or she may become irrationally emotional. Have you ever been in the middle of a major project and worked through lunch? Pretty soon you feel kind of rundown, confused and perhaps nauseous? That's hypoglycemia. If left untreated, someone with diabetes can go unconscious.
On the other end of the range is hyperglycemia or high blood sugar. Readings over 120 indicate that the body isn't absorbing nutrients properly. The immediate indicators of this condition are sometimes hyperactivity, uncontrollable thirst and urination, and nausea. While someone with diabetes rarely blacks out from hyperglycemia, if this condition is not controlled it can produce irreversible, long-term complications, such as kidney failure, blindness and circulatory problems.
Back to questions
What does an insulin pump do?
An insulin pump in a device about the size of a pager that is worn under clothes that houses a supply of fast-acting insulin. A small catheter connects the computerized device to the patient. The pump can be programmed to deliver a steady flow of insulin constantly and enables a quick and painless way to deliver an additional dose, called a bolus, after meals or when the blood sugar is running high.
Using a pump eliminates the need to give numerous shots to deliver required insulin. The location where the catheter is inserted is changed once every three days, far better than having to take up to 10 shots a day. The pump also reduces the amount of gear someone with Type I diabetes has to carry around and eliminates the safety problems loose syringes can cause on school campuses.
Back to questions
An insulin pump is basically an artificial pancreas, then?
The pump we recently got for Shelby is state of the art. It can be programmed in dozens of ways. But we still have to tell it what her blood sugar readings are and we still have to input how many carbohydrates she has eaten. While it's an major advance, it is not an independent artificial pancreas.
We've definitely come to respect the work the pancreas does. This one little organ, in conjunction with others inside all of us, measures how much carbohydrate we've eaten, how much activity we're engaged in and sends out the right amount of insulin to keep everything running smoothly. It is so efficient the most of us play sports, work in the yard, stroll to the store, gobble up pizza, slurp Starbuck's drinks and grab a quick bowl of ice cream as a treat without giving it a second thought. While someone with diabetes can do all those things, he or she has to think about each and every step of it and prepare accordingly.
Back to questions
What's the cure?
There isn't one, yet.
Isn't that frustrating? You are faced with watching your 3-year-old having to deal with this disease, which could end her life prematurely or change her lifestyle in a million unimaginable ways, and there is no way to fix it.
That's what we wanted to do – just fix it. Give the magic pill. Make it go away. But we couldn't. The awful truth is there is no cure for Type I diabetes. In 1970, parents of children with juvenile diabetes felt just as frustrated and couldn't sit still and do nothing. So they formed the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation on the basic idea that Type I diabetes was a solvable puzzle if modern medical researchers had the tools and time to find that solution.
Since its inception, the JDRF has become the largest non-governmental funder of research into the causes and cures of Type I diabetes. The foundation has awarded more than $800 million to diabetes research, including more than $80 million in fiscal year 2003. That year alone, the foundation funded 500 research centers, grants and fellowships in 19 countries, according to its Web site. Results are coming in everyday from faster acting types of insulin to advanced insulin pumps to research into insulin islet transplants to isolating the genes that cause all of this in the first place.
We believe there will be a cure in Shelby's lifetime. We are determined to do everything we can to help. That's why we support the JDRF and ask our friends and family members to do the same. Finding a cure is the sole reason there is a Team Shelby.
Back to questions
Sunday, July 25, 2004
JDRF day at SBC Park
Last Thursday was a special day for Team Shelby and our family. It was Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation day at SBC Park. The Giants lost to the San Diego Padres that day. But Liz and the kids had great seats 27 rows up from first base thanks to our good friend Leslie and her family. Mark and I sat up in the upper deck in seats he’d purchased earlier in the year; we like to go to at least one game a year together, just the guys, and this one turned out to be on JDRF day. The seats we had were the same ones our family sat in for our first family game at the Giants in 2003.
JDRF day with the Giants is really just an awareness-raising event. There is a booth down on the community row next to the KNBR radio booth. There was a pre-game ceremony out at home plate where some kids with diabetes thanked the Giants and pitcher Brett Tomko for their efforts in raising awareness of the disease. It also was a chance for us to wear our Team Shelby shirts and answer people’s questions about what Team Shelby is, spreading the word one person at a time.
It was a great day all around, except for the final score. But like a long baseball season where your team is kinda in the playoff hunt and kinda not, the work of educating people about diabetes, what it means and what we can do to fight it is a day-by-day process.
Each person we tell about Team Shelby is one more person who didn’t know before. Each person we hand a JDRF pamphlet to is one more person who may just take a minute to read it and learn something really important.
There are JDRF chapters and events all over the country. If there’s one near you, stop by and let the folks there know you support the work they are doing for a little girl you know in Northern California.
JDRF day with the Giants is really just an awareness-raising event. There is a booth down on the community row next to the KNBR radio booth. There was a pre-game ceremony out at home plate where some kids with diabetes thanked the Giants and pitcher Brett Tomko for their efforts in raising awareness of the disease. It also was a chance for us to wear our Team Shelby shirts and answer people’s questions about what Team Shelby is, spreading the word one person at a time.
It was a great day all around, except for the final score. But like a long baseball season where your team is kinda in the playoff hunt and kinda not, the work of educating people about diabetes, what it means and what we can do to fight it is a day-by-day process.
Each person we tell about Team Shelby is one more person who didn’t know before. Each person we hand a JDRF pamphlet to is one more person who may just take a minute to read it and learn something really important.
There are JDRF chapters and events all over the country. If there’s one near you, stop by and let the folks there know you support the work they are doing for a little girl you know in Northern California.
Sunday, July 18, 2004
Discovery: Gene mutation link to Type I Diabetes
Medical College of Georgia researchers have discovered a gene mutation that controls a major immune system response that leads to autoimmune diseases, such as Type I diabetes. This research was funded in part by the JDRF.
Here's a short piece of the article. Click the link above for the full article from the college's Web site.
A natural mutation of a gene that helps regulate the reactivity of the immune system is a major contributor to type 1diabetes, Medical College of Georgia researchers have found.
The newly discovered gene, SUMO-4, controls the activity of NFkB, a molecule that in turn controls the activity of cytokines, proteins that regulate the intensity and duration of the immune response, according to research that will be published in the August print issue of Nature Genetics and online July 11.
By examining the transmission of genes from parents to children in nearly 1,000 diabetic families from around the world, the researchers found that a certain natural mutation of that SUMO-4 gene increases the risk of type 1 diabetes.
"This helps us understand how type 1 diabetes works, and we can use this improved understanding to better predict who will get the disease and design new intervention strategies for those who do," said Dr. Jin-Xiong She, director of the MCG Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine and a co-senior author on the study.
"The mutation we have found is going to increase the responsive capacity of the immune system to environmental triggers or stimulators; it makes it more reactive," said Dr. Cong-Yi Wang, molecular geneticist and co-senior author.
Dr. Wang and his research team found that when that mutation encounters an environmental trigger, such as a bacterial or viral infection, it throws off the usual well-balanced activity of the immune system, initiating an autoimmune response that eventually attacks the patient’s own tissue.
They already are exploring the gene’s potential role in other autoimmune diseases as well such as lupus, thyroid disease, arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
Here's a short piece of the article. Click the link above for the full article from the college's Web site.
A natural mutation of a gene that helps regulate the reactivity of the immune system is a major contributor to type 1diabetes, Medical College of Georgia researchers have found.
The newly discovered gene, SUMO-4, controls the activity of NFkB, a molecule that in turn controls the activity of cytokines, proteins that regulate the intensity and duration of the immune response, according to research that will be published in the August print issue of Nature Genetics and online July 11.
By examining the transmission of genes from parents to children in nearly 1,000 diabetic families from around the world, the researchers found that a certain natural mutation of that SUMO-4 gene increases the risk of type 1 diabetes.
"This helps us understand how type 1 diabetes works, and we can use this improved understanding to better predict who will get the disease and design new intervention strategies for those who do," said Dr. Jin-Xiong She, director of the MCG Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine and a co-senior author on the study.
"The mutation we have found is going to increase the responsive capacity of the immune system to environmental triggers or stimulators; it makes it more reactive," said Dr. Cong-Yi Wang, molecular geneticist and co-senior author.
Dr. Wang and his research team found that when that mutation encounters an environmental trigger, such as a bacterial or viral infection, it throws off the usual well-balanced activity of the immune system, initiating an autoimmune response that eventually attacks the patient’s own tissue.
They already are exploring the gene’s potential role in other autoimmune diseases as well such as lupus, thyroid disease, arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
Saturday, July 17, 2004
A tribute to our walk team
| We are more thankful than we can ever say to everyone on Team Shelby. Anyone who has given a dime, turned out for a walk or gathered donations from 10,000 people are all members of the team. We couldn't do what we do without all of you. We do have a particular fondness for those who turn out in the early morning hours at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek for the 5k-walk that culminates the annual Team Shelby/Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation fundraising effort. In 2003, we had a great group, all decked out in royal blue team shirts and, for the first time, caps. We look forward to another great trip around the park on Oct. 3, 2004. Any team members who can make it are more than welcome. After the walk we invite any and all who care to join us over to our house for a post-walk barbecue, which is lots of fun. It's great to see people from various aspects of our lives share in a meal and get to know each other when other their only common bond is Shelby and a genuine concern for her well-being and health. We thank everyone who has ever walked with our team and those too distant to make who said a special prayer for us on that day. |  The Team 2003 Originally uploaded by teamshelby. |
Monday, July 12, 2004
Who we are and why we care
Team Shelby was born in 2002 shortly after our 2-year-old daughter Shelby was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes. We had survived our 'diabetes boot camp' at the hospital and were determined to find some way to not just live with the disease but fight back.
We've teamed up with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, an international nonprofit organization which is the largest non-governmental supporter of cutting-edge research to cure this chronic disease. The JDRF was founded by parents of children with diabetes who refused to wait for capricious government funding of the needed advancements toward solving the riddle of diabetes. The JDRF is a true leader in this field of research with partnerships with the top universities and research centers in the world pursuing answers to both the causes and cures of diabetes.
We believe that finding a cure for our daughter is worth our time and effort. We were given this challenge as a family and we fight it as a family. It has been a tremendous blessing to discover that so many of our family and friends agreed with us. The JDRF holds annual Walk to Cure Diabetes events in cities across the nation. The number of people who have donated money to Team Shelby (our walk team that donates 100% of the proceeds tothe JDRF) has been tremendous. That's a main reason we have this website -- to keep in touch with our team and share the latest about our journey toward a cure.
We are gearing up new fund-raising approaches, including our first-ever corporate sponsorship opportunities, as we plan for the October Walk to Cure Diabetes. Please explore our site: We pack it full of both inspirational stories and the latest in the research battle against Type I Diabetes. The money is working. Scientists are discovering, a piece at a time, what exactly causes this disease and how to best treat and, perhaps one day, prevent and cure it.
We've teamed up with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, an international nonprofit organization which is the largest non-governmental supporter of cutting-edge research to cure this chronic disease. The JDRF was founded by parents of children with diabetes who refused to wait for capricious government funding of the needed advancements toward solving the riddle of diabetes. The JDRF is a true leader in this field of research with partnerships with the top universities and research centers in the world pursuing answers to both the causes and cures of diabetes.
We believe that finding a cure for our daughter is worth our time and effort. We were given this challenge as a family and we fight it as a family. It has been a tremendous blessing to discover that so many of our family and friends agreed with us. The JDRF holds annual Walk to Cure Diabetes events in cities across the nation. The number of people who have donated money to Team Shelby (our walk team that donates 100% of the proceeds tothe JDRF) has been tremendous. That's a main reason we have this website -- to keep in touch with our team and share the latest about our journey toward a cure.
We are gearing up new fund-raising approaches, including our first-ever corporate sponsorship opportunities, as we plan for the October Walk to Cure Diabetes. Please explore our site: We pack it full of both inspirational stories and the latest in the research battle against Type I Diabetes. The money is working. Scientists are discovering, a piece at a time, what exactly causes this disease and how to best treat and, perhaps one day, prevent and cure it.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)