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Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation;

Dedicated To Finding A Cure

By Lalanena Gonzalez-Figueroa

The faces of juvenile diabetes don’t always depict the pain, frustration and fear that often accompanies the diagnosis and its lifelong ramifications. That’s why when Kathy Herbst speaks about the disease, she sometimes brings a bag full of syringes to drive home the impact that families must absorb. “With insulin shots four times a day, plus up to ten daily pricks to test blood sugar, a child may use upwards of five hundred syringes in a single month,” she explains. As development coordinator for the Florida Suncoast Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Kathy does double duty as a firsthand example of the opportunities to thrive in adversity. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the tender age of five, and understands the daily struggles involved with the disease.

The Suncoast Chapter of  JDRF was founded in 1994 by Phyllis and Sol Steingard, whose granddaughter Britni was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a child. The couple, who divide their time between Longboat Key and Cape Cod, were astonished to discover that the Sarasota region didn’t have a support system in place for other families and individuals affected by the disease. A grassroots effort to build awareness quickly blossomed into a local organization that is now making a tremendous impact on countless lives, every day of the year, serving 10 counties from Manatee to Marco Island and halfway across the state.

“Our main outreach goals are to raise awareness, increase caring, and help find the cure for type 1 diabetes,” says Kathy. “Since my own diagnosis, I have seen drastic improvements in the technology and information used to help diabetics maintain and control our blood sugar levels.” Thanks to the concerted efforts of U.S.-based JDRF chapters and international affiliates, the organization stands as the worldwide leader in funding research to cure diabetes

Outreach at the Suncoast Chapter of JDRF is a comprehensive effort. In addition to reaching out to families directly impacted by the disease, the organization also seeks to educate the public at large of the issues and challenges involved with a type 1 diabetes diagnosis. “Something as simple as a common cold can have a tremendous impact on a child with diabetes,” explains Jeannie Kawcak, the chapter’s executive director. “It helps when people understand just how critical the need for research is.”

Indeed, statistics reveal that the rate of type 1 diabetes is staggering. According to JDRF, more than 15,000 children are diagnosed with the disease in the United States alone, or approximately 40 kids each day. At these rates, chances are that every American will know a child or a family member who copes with this lifelong disease. This is why  JDRF and its supporters are so dedicated to finding a cure. And their efforts are impressive.

In their first year alone the Suncoast chapter of JDRF raised around $45,000 through their inaugural Walk to Cure Diabetes event. “It was amazing,” recalls Kathy. “We had been advised to wait until we had a corporate sponsor, but the community came together to support us in an incredible way.” While the group’s Walk to Cure Diabetes remains their largest fundraising event in Sarasota, JDRF keeps a yearlong calendar ripe with fundraisers and seminars with the 2010 Walk to Cure Diabetes raising an amazing $400,000 chapter-wide, In addition, to the Walk to Cure Diabetes, the Suncoast Chapter hosts the Hope Gala in Naples every February. “With ninety five cents of every dollar going to research and program funding, there’s a substantial return on the investment individuals make towards finding a cure,” notes Kathy. 

The Suncoast Chapter of the JDRF offers a number of programs designed to assist families living with type 1 diabetes, including school outreach programs to educate teachers and caregivers as well as their signature Bags of Hope, which include a snuggly teddy bear, blood glucose meter, and books and resources addressing the disease and its ramifications. They have also implemented a mentorship program designed to offer newly-diagnosed kids and their families a one-on-one connection with individuals who have experience in dealing with type 1 diabetes.
 
“Through peer mentors, kids and their caregivers understand that they’re not alone,” explains Jeannie. “We have discovered that these individualized programs tend to be more meaningful than support groups; they help facilitate adaptivity as kids evolve into new life stages.” She continues, “A kindergartener has different needs than a middle schooler or a college student. By pairing up with peers, children with type 1 diabetes can make smoother transitions and continue to live healthy lifestyles.”

If the face of type 1 diabetes is difficult to place, it’s because kids afflicted with the disease don’t tend to look much different than their peers. They have hopes and dreams, good days and bad days. Their families want to see them accomplish their goals, to live normal lives, to raise families. And through ongoing research, the dedicated efforts of volunteers and scientists, and the critical funding provided by local communities, their chances of reaching their dreams increase significantly. Through JDRF, the search for a cure to this devastating disease will continue.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Florida Suncoast Chapter
7341 Professional Parkway East
Sarasota, FL 34240
(941) 907.0811
www.jdrf.org

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