It’s time to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes
Insulin is not enough to save lives
Catherine Kohm’s daughter Rachel was only 27 when she succumbed to complications of Type 1 diabetes. “One night she went to sleep, her blood sugar fell too low and she just never woke up. It is very difficult for me to talk about, even four years later” says Catherine.
Rachel had maintained an active life in the film industry, which often meant long hours and shift work. Maintaining the complicated regime necessary to keep her blood sugar stable was almost like having another job. “She was masterful at managing her diabetes” remembers Catherine, “but at the time, she did not have the benefit of an insulin pump, and if she did, I think things would have been different.”
Living with Type 1 diabetes means living a very structured lifestyle in order to adequately regulate blood sugar and avoid complications. For example, someone living with juvenile diabetes requires approximately 1,463 insulin needles a year (based on four per day) and 2,190 finger pricks a year to test their blood sugar. An insulin pump helps wearers to regulate more stable blood sugar levels all the time. For those living with type 1 diabetes, just staying healthy is an hourly effort.
For Catherine, National Diabetes Awareness Month this November means her struggle is far from over. “I think the most important thing for people to understand is that insulin is not a cure,” repeats Catherine. “I feel that I owe it to Rachel to keep fighting, so this doesn’t happen to other families.”
“During National Diabetes Awareness Month, it’s our job to highlight the effect research advancements have already had on the disease so that others like Rachel can be spared, “states Andrew McKee, President and CEO of JDRF. “JDRF is funding tremendous Canadian research progress and momentum toward a cure for T1 and its complications. This is a complex disease, but we are resilient and passionate in our collective efforts to find a cure.”
Type 1 diabetes is a non-preventable autoimmune disease that affects more than 200,000 Canadians. It is referred to as juvenile diabetes because the majority of people are diagnosed with the disease while they are young. Serious complications are associated with Type 1 diabetes, such as blindness, amputations, kidney failure and even death. Unlike Type 2 diabetes, Type 1 can not be controlled by diet and exercise and people living with it are insulin-dependent for life. Insulin is not a cure.
JDRF is the leading charitable funder and advocate of Type 1 diabetes research worldwide. Its mission is to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes and its complications through the support of research. For more information on JDRF and how you can donate or get involved, please visit http://www.jdrf.ca.
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