I am very excited about the opportunity to be part of the JDRF ONE Group. Made up of young professionals from within the local Atlanta community, the ONE Group works to raise money for JDRF to cure, treat and prevent Type 1 Diabetes (T1D).
T1D, sometimes referred to as Juvenile Diabetes, affects nearly 3 million Americans. Contrary to popular belief, T1D is not caused by poor diet and lifestyle. There's also nothing anyone can do to prevent it or get rid of it, and it can cause long-term complications and even death. Put simply, T1D is when your body stops producing insulin (the hormone that gives people energy from food).
I was diagnosed with T1D when I was 16 years old. Like so many others with this disease, I struggled to cope with the daily injections, the highs and lows in blood sugar and energy levels, the unexpected mood swings, and the need for constant monitoring to avoid both immediate and long-term complications. In the less than two decades since my diagnosis, strides have been made in treatment which are very encouraging, but we need to do more. Especially knowing that my daughter could be genetically predisposed to T1D makes finding a cure all the more important to me.
With every dollar that's raised, we help a fellow man/woman in need, we spearhead research efforts, and we get one step closer to finding a cure.
WAYS TO DONATE:
1) Make a donation online here;
2) Send a check made payable to JDRF to the below address, and please include my name on the subject line:
3525 Piedmont Road NE, Bldg 6, Ste 300, Atlanta, GA 30305
3) Buy Tickets to the ONE Party on November 15th at American Spirit Works: $75 per person or $125 for VIP. There will be cocktails, delicious food, music and dancing, and the proceeds will go towards JDRF's efforts to find a cure.
Thank you very much for your support!
Drew
