Zachary's Personal Page

Join me in the fight to cure, better treat and prevent type 1 diabetes!

     On October 19th, 2013, I'll be cycling 105 miles across Death Valley in California to support JDRF. My hope is that in the near future, this organization's efforts will directly lead to finding a cure for T1D. My girlfriend is among the 3 million people in the US that have this disease. I have learned a great deal about this disease, above and beyond my training and experience as a healthcare provider by seeing how it affects someone I deeply care about. These are some of things I have learned that are really pushing me to support this organization?s work:

     First, simply put, people with T1D don't have the ability to regulate their blood sugar due to the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin in adequate amounts or even at all. 

• There is no cure for T1D.
• Some people have to check their blood sugar (i.e. cut themselves) 8-12 times a day.
• No day can be planned without having a source of sugar available at all times.
• Blood sugar levels can drop dramatically, suddenly at any time without reason.
• Some people cannot sleep without another person or even a specially trained dog to wake them up to check their sugar and give them something to eat.

     So the disease primarily has to do with the pancreas and sugar, but uncontrolled sugar levels can also be detrimental to every other system in the body such as the skin, the cardiovascular and the gastrointestinal system for example. On top of that, I can?t imagine what it is like for a 5-year child and their family to learn that they have T1D and that?s around the age when most people are diagnosed. 

     It would be really great if you could help me support this organization in its fight against T1D. In 2011 JDRF gave 116 million dollars to T1D research and more than 1.6 billion since its creation in 1970. Yet the disease still remains. More research is needed to improve treatment, quality of life and ultimately to find a cure. Thanks.

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