The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) raises funds specifically to fund research for Type 1 diabetes (T1D).

More than 26 million people are affected by all types of diabetes- but TD1 is different from the disease in other forms. It is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone people need to get energy from food. T1D strikes both children and adults, and lasts a lifetime. T1D has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it.

I was very honored to be nominated to participate in The One Group this year, but initially, I didn't know if I knew anyone effected by the disease. It didn't take long for me to find out that I have several people close to me dealing with this disease every day. And contrary to what you might think- this disease impacts children and adults alike. in fact, 85% of the people living with T1D are adults. Over 30,000 people are diagnosed every year in the US alone. 

Just to survive, people with T1D must frequently test their blood sugar and inject insulin (or continually infuse it through a pump) every day. They must carefully balance insulin doses with eating and other daily activities—and still run the risk of dangerous high or low blood sugar levels. Taking insulin does not cure T1D, nor does it prevent the possibility of the disease’s devastating effects: kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, heart attack, stroke, and pregnancy complications. 

The JDRF Research Plan is comprehensive and focuses on key therapies that hold significant promise- you can find alot more information about it here: http://georgia.jdrf.org/research/. In 2013, JDRF raised $106 million dollars for funding vital research. 

My goal is to help fundraise for JDRF through The One Group in hopes of one day finding a cure and means of universal prevention.

Please join me today in the fight against T1D!