Alex Pollak
A&E page!
Fundraising for Breakthrough T1D
Story
We are taking part in a (socially distant) half triathlon, a first for both of us at beautiful Blenheim Palace on September 13th. We're racing with a team from our daughter's school, St Christophers and The Hall School. And we are fundraising for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes). It's a cause that's dear to our heart as both of our families have been affected by diabetes.
So while we're sweating and struggling our way around Blenheim, I'm hoping you can dig into your pockets for a few pounds. We and JDRF are very grateful for any amount you can give!
A LITTLE ABOUT TYPE 1 DIABETES
Diabetes means daily insulin, delivered by injection or pump, for the rest of your life. It means carbohydrate counting every piece of food that you eat, paying constant attention to blood sugar levels, day and night, to make sure they aren’t too low- leading to a ‘hypo’, which shuts the body down and ends in a coma– or too high, which can lead to DKA, diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening emergency. These are the immediate consequences.
And long term, without good lifetime glucose control, diabetes can ravage the body: blindness, numb ulcerated feet, amputations, cardiovascular disease and the neurological compromise that comes with it. The body is not designed to be full of sugar and it causes untold damage if left unchecked.
However, there is a realistic hope that one day the scientists and medics will be able to stop this awful disease in its tracks, to prevent other families from going through this. JDRF fund the research that gives all the Type 1 Diabetics and parents of Type 1 Diabetics, hope. This hope, that it may one day be better, is worth everything.