My name is Henry and I am 12 years old. I am a baseball & soccer player, a musician & actor, a swimmer & cyclist, a student & friend; I am also a type 1 diabetic. Type 1 diabetes (or T1D) is an autoimmune disease that strikes both children and adults; T1D causes lifelong dependence on injected insulin. It carries the constant threat of devastating, life-threatening complications and requires 24/7 management.
No matter where I go or what activities I participate in, I am always a diabetic. People around me help count carbohydrates, deliver insulin, react to low blood sugars and prevent acute diabetic related emergencies. I wear an insulin pump to school, to play-dates, to sporting events, while performing on stage and while sleeping. There is no break from diabetes and no moment without thinking about my blood sugar level.
I am one of millions of children, young adults and adults living with type 1 diabetes. I know I did not do anything that caused diabetes. It just happened. I guess I was pretty lucky, my parents figured out something was wrong before I became desperately ill – I was only in the hospital for 3 days. Unfortunately, others are not so lucky; they spend time in Intensive Care and kids die if the disease is not diagnosed or monitored closely. There is no cure for type 1 diabetes and I will not grow out of the condition as I become a teenage or adult.
When I was diagnosed at age 5, our family knew all about JDRF and had already supported JDRF as my uncle also has T1D. We found support and hope for my future at JDRF. JDRF is determined to find better treatments and a cure for T1D. Technology, clinical development, and clinical trials are advancing faster than ever before but so are the costs. I am excited to serve as this year’s JDRF Spring Gala Fund A Cure kid. This year’s goal is to raise $600,000 and with your help – T1D doesn’t stand a chance!
Please join me and give generously to Fund A Cure this year. Your 100% tax-deductible donation goes directly to research. You can help speed the progress of therapies that will dramatically improve the lives of children and adults living with this disease, including me. Please complete the enclosed form or attend the Spring Gala on April 29, 2017. On behalf of millions of families living with this disease, thank you for your ongoing support and generosity.
Click here to join!
Fund A Cure immediately follows the Live Auction portion of the evening. Fund A Cure is an opportunity to make an impact on the lives of people living with T1D and their loved ones through a 100% tax-deductible donation, which will accelerate life-changing research. Fund A Cure donations will be invested in JDRF’s effective and focused research agenda aimed to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people’s lives until there is a cure.
