About Type 1 Diabetes

ABOUT TYPE 1 DIABETES

Type 1 diabetes (often referred to as T1D) is an autoimmune disease that occurs when a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin.  Insulin is the hormone that controls blood sugar levels.  At the current time, there is nothing anyone can do to prevent T1D, and there is no known cure.

 T1D affects children and adults, and people can be diagnosed at any age.  T1D typically has a quick onset and must be managed with the use of insulin, either by injection or an insulin pump.  A challenging part of this diagnosis is that the disease must be managed 24/7 through the use of careful monitoring.  Eating, exercise, and other activities affect blood sugar levels.  People with T1D measure those levels through finger pricks—ideally at least six times a day—or by wearing a continuous glucose monitor.

While insulin therapy keeps people with T1D alive, it is not a cure.  Even with a strict regimen, many people still experience dangerously high or low blood sugar levels that can be life threatening in extreme cases. 

Having T1D can be difficult, and it never goes away.  Blood sugar levels are affected with every bite that is eaten and every physical activity undertaken.  However, long-term, careful management of the disease allows those with T1D to have full and active lives.

 

Our golf event, Tee It Up Fore T1D, is raising much-needed funds for JDRF (formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), an organization committed to research and advocacy for this disease for people of all ages.  Since its inception in 1970, JDRF has evolved to become a worldwide leader in the fight against T1D.  With chapters and branches in most U.S. states and international affiliates in several different countries, JDRF conducts cure and treatment research, advocacy activities, and outreach services to people with the disease and their families.

Your participation in this golf fundraiser gives hope and courage to those affected by this serious and challenging disease. 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT!

 

For more information about Type 1 diabetes and the work being undertaken by JDRF, please visit www.jdrf.org.