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.