JDRF Commemorates National Diabetes Awareness Month and T1Day

JDRF, the leading global organization funding Type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, will commemorate National Diabetes Awareness Month (NDAM) this November by raising awareness of Type 1 diabetes and the urgent need to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications.

Throughout November, JDRF will celebrate NDAM, including T1Day on November 1 and World Diabetes Day on November 14, by gathering support for the 1.25 million Americans and their families and caregivers affected by T1D. Every minute of every day, people with T1D persevere in the face of adversity, and JDRF is committed to making day-to-day life with the disease easier, safer and healthier for the diabetes community while working toward our vision of a world without T1D.

"Avoiding the dangers of type 1 diabetes requires constant monitoring and management, so it helps to have a strong, supportive and educated community that understands the needs of T1D families," said Derek Rapp, JDRF President and CEO. "JDRF's goal to is ensure that the burdens of T1D are not life-long for this or future generations. With the community's help, we're determined to support prevention and cure research that will create a world without T1D. And in the meantime, we intend to make life with T1D safer and less onerous for families facing this disease."

This November, JDRF is continuing its nationwide T1D Looks Like Me campaign to spread awareness about life with T1D. Visitors to the campaign page can "Get Quizzed by a Whiz Kid" to test their knowledge against that of a nine-year-old with T1D. Families affected by T1D can also create a custom "T1D Looks Like Me" profile photo for social media or a "T1D Footprint Generator" to help others understand the cumulative burden of living with this disease.

JDRF will also continue its important advocacy efforts, including asking Congress to continue funding critical research through the Special Diabetes Program and pressuring insurers to ensure that everyone in the T1D community has the "Coverage 2 Control" their diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, life-threatening autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults at any age. While the causes of T1D are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. T1D is not related to diet or lifestyle, and there is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, and -- at present -- nothing you can do to get rid of it.

In T1D, the body's immune system destroys cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, meaning the body produces little to no insulin to regulate blood sugar and get energy from food. The onset of T1D is sudden, leading to immediate insulin dependence and the need for injections. T1D requires rigorous 24/7 monitoring of blood glucose levels -- even overnight -- to avoid potentially lethal highs and lows in blood sugar, as well as other devastating complications like kidney, eye and nerve diseases, and heart disease.

T1D can happen to anyone, and the number of people with T1D is expected to grow to 5 million by the year 2050 if we don't do something now.