RUN FOR THE RING 5K & KIDS FUN RUN PAGE 16
CAROUSEL OF HOPE 2020
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The Barbara Davis Center Research Team LARGEST TEAM (22) FOR THE RUN FOR THE RING
NEWSNOTES FEATURES 4
Children’s Diabetes Foundation Board Members EXECUTIVE BOARD: Mrs. Barbara Davis, Chairman Dana Davis, Executive Director
2021 TIED TO A CURE
Mr. Cameron van Orman, Vice Chairman Richard S. Abrams, M.D., Treasurer
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Mrs. Arlene Hirschfeld, Secretary
FOUNDATION NEWS
Stephen Daniels, M.D., Ph.D. Chairman of Pediatrics The Children’s Hospital, Denver Mrs. Nancy Davis Rickel
BARBARA DAVIS CENTER UPDATES
Daniel Feiten, M.D. Mr. Wayne Forman Mr. Robert Garelick
10 2021 CHARLOTTE TUCKER SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Mrs. Deidre Hunter Mr. Shawn Hunter
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TREATMENTS FOR DIABETIC RETINOPATHY 2021 RUN FOR THE RING 5K & KIDS FUN RUN
Mrs. Marcela de la Mar John J. Reilly, Jr., M.D. Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs & Dean, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver Mr. Ken Rickel Mrs. Stacy Mendelson Robinson Marian Rewers, M.D., Ph.D. Ex-Officio Member
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ERIN CALHOUN-DULANEY’S SKIRTMYPUMP
Mr. Joseph Smolen Mrs. Tracy van Orman
25 RUNNING WITH T1D
Mark Atkinson, Ph.D. Professor of Pathology & Pediatrics, Director, University of Florida Diabetes Institute Ezio Bonifacio, Ph.D. Professor for Preclinical Approaches to Stem Cell Therapy, Center for Regenerative Therapies, Dresden, Germany Robert Eckel, MD Professor of Medicine, Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Mr. Shane Hendryson
Mr. Steve Lucas
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SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD: Richard S. Abrams, M.D. Director, Colorado Preventive Medicine, Rose Medical Center; Clinical Professor of Medicine UCD
Matthias Hebrok, Ph.D. Professor in Residence and Director, Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco Steven Kahn, MB, Ch.B. Professor of Medicine, Director of the Diabetes Research Center, University of Washington Rudolph Leibel, MD Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, Co-Director, Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Columbia University Alvin Powers, MD Professor of Medicine, Molecular Physiology/Biophysics, Division Director, Vanderbilt University William Tamborlane, MD Professor of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine
NewsNotes is published quarterly by the Children’s Diabetes Foundation. If you would like to submit an article or a letter to NewsNotes, send information to cdfcares@childrensdiabetesfoundation.org. Lisa Steele, Editor Zachary Reece, Graphic Designer
Facebook.com/ ChildrensDiabetesFoundation
@CDFdiabetes
@CDFdiabetes
WWW.CHILDRENSDIABETESFOUNDATION.ORG CDFcares@ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org • 303-863-1200 NEW ADDRESS AS OF DEC. 30, 2020 - 3025 South Parker Road, Suite 110, Aurora, CO 80014
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November is Diabetes Awareness Month Type 1 diabetes impacts more than just the body. Managing this chronic illness is a complicated, tedious, all day, everyday struggle that can take a relentless toll on your mental well-being. Children’s Diabetes Foundation helps ensure that the Barbara Davis Center can continue to provide patient programs that support both the physical and mental burdens of living with type 1 diabetes.
Do you know the symptoms of type 1 diabetes? SUDDEN VISION CHANGES FREQUENT URINATION EXTREME THIRST WEIGHT LOSS IRRITABILITY FATIGUE
Learn More at www.ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org 3
FOUNDATION NEWS 4
2021 TIED TO A CURE GOLF TOURNAMENT
The 2021 Tied to a Cure Golf Tournament
drew over 100 avid golfers to Pinehurst Country Club to raise funds for Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. The event began with breakfast burritos and bloody marys featuring Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Attendees then listened to event chairmen Dan Fuller, Michael McDonald, Todd Schieck and Joe Smolen sharing their personal connection with type 1 diabetes before the foursomes started their day of golf. The golfers enjoyed their day on the course and were entertained by a celebrity long driver, an opportunity to win a trip to Pebble Beach, and an afternoon of fun, food, and libations. The Children’s Diabetes Foundation is immensely grateful to all the players, sponsors, volunteers, and participants who made this day possible. Also, a very special thanks to title sponsor Empower Retirement! If you would like to participate in the 2022 Tied to a Cure Denver Golf Tournament, you can contact Amanda Miller at Amanda@ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org.
CDF Support Groups You are not alone with type 1 diabetes! • • •
• • •
All support groups will be held virtually until further notice Denver Metro Area – all ages & • Southeastern Colorado (Pueblo, relationships to diabetes Cañon City, Lamar, etc.): New! – All Colorado Springs, CO – all ages & ages & relationships to diabetes relationships to diabetes • Rifle, CO (Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Delta, Grand Mesa) – all ages Northeastern Colorado (Sterling, Iliff, & relationships to diabetes Merino, Hatxun, Crook, Fleming) – all ages and relationships to diabetes – • Cheyenne, WY – all ages & meets every 2 months relationships to diabetes “The Keepers” in Denver – parents & • Douglas County, CO – all ages & caregivers of teens with type 1 relationships to diabetes Fort Collins, CO – for kids 18 & under • Digital – Virtual meetings for anyone with type 1 diabetes & their caregivers regardless of location, age, & Central Rockies (Lake County, connection to diabetes Leadville, Summit County, Eagle • Teen Connection Community: New! County, and Chaffee County) – all (Virtual)- For those with type 1 ages & relationships to diabetes diabetes between the ages of 13 & 18
Sign up to receive notifications about the specific time, date, & location of each meeting by visiting
www.ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org/support-groups/
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FOUNDATION NEWS
MARGOT REA RAISED NEARLY $10,000 FOR RUN FOR THE RING! My name is Margot Rea and I am 12 years old. I was 2 years old
when I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I don’t remember what it was like to NOT check my blood sugar, count carbs, or wear an insulin pump and CGM. This was my first year at Run for the Ring. I heard about how fun it was from a few of my friends that are also advocates for the Children’s Diabetes Foundation. I was so excited to raise money for the Children’s Diabetes Foundation because they give money directly to the Barbara Davis Center. My favorite part about the run was seeing all the kids there that were wearing the blue “I’m the 1” shirts that show that they also have Type 1. I also loved running with my dad and the foam party at the end of the race. Since I was diagnosed, my family and I have always had so much support and people who want to understand Type 1 better and to help find a cure. So it was easy to find people to support me fundraising for the Run! I sent an email with a link to my run page to those friends and family that I knew would support me and the run. Those friends and family were not only donated themselves, but they forwarded my information onto their friends and family. My mom goes to the CDF Guild meetings and says that she hears where they give their money - that it can go to help people who are less fortunate than me so they can get the same care. I go to the BDC every 3 months and everyone there is so nice and helpful. I learn something new to manage my Type 1 every time I go there. They help me to live a happy, healthy life, even when it’s hard with Type 1 diabetes.
JOSHUA RAISES FUNDS FOR DIABETES RESEARCH On his birthday, friends and family got Joshua
Nilstoft Star Wars Legos, but some did not come with gift receipts. His father, Erik Nilstoft, suggested that they give the Legos to children in need, since they were unable to return the duplicate sets. After building an apple stand for Joshua, Erick came up with the idea to sell the Star wars Legos instead of apples at the stand, and give the money to a charity for diabetes research. The family lives in a quiet neighborhood, but after one neighbor bought two Lego sets for $50.00 (which was way more than the actual cost), Erik thought it would be good to post the available sets on his Instagram account and see what happened. Before Erik could blink, the Lego sales raised $800.00 from friends, coworkers, and family to donate to the Children’s Diabetes Foundation.
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Joshua wants to find a cure so other kids do not have to have diabetes like his younger sister, Amelia.
ENTOURAGE In May, 9-year-old Barbara
Davis Center patient Ellie Hampton from Viola, IL participated in her local JDRF chapter’s Virtual One Walk. From Ellie’s t-shirt fundraiser in 2019/2020, she raised $740 for the Children’s Diabetes Foundation to go towards pediatric research at the Barbara Davis Center. She brought the check with to her yearly appointment in June!
2021 VIRTUAL
"PRACTICAL WAYS TO ACHIEVE TARGETS IN DIABETES CARE"
FOUNDATION NEWS
ELLIE'S
Children’s Diabetes Foundation was proud to partner with the Barbara Davis Center for the ATDC Keystone Conference. While this conference is usually held annually in Keystone, Colorado, the 2021 event was held virtually and brought together over 560 healthcare professionals from 44 states and 13 countries. The four-day virtual conference started with opening remarks from Dr. Satish Garg, conference Director and Adult Clinic Director of the Barbara Davis Center. Attendees were able to interact in exhibitor meetings with leaders in the diabetes field and get the most up-to-date information on diabetes care, technology, and research to improve care. Children’s Diabetes Foundation would like to thank Dexcom, the event’s Diamond Plus Sponsor, and Medtronic, its Platinum Sponsor. Save the date for the 2022 ATDC Conference! July 14-17, 2022 in Keystone, Colorado. Registration opens in early January 2022. Visit www.atdcconference.com for more information or email Lisa@childrensdiabetesfoundation.org.
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BARBARA DAVIS CENTER
BDC UPDATES After thoughtful consultation with BDC faculty, Dr. Robert Slover, Director of BDC
Pediatric Diabetes Division, and Dr. Marian Rewer, Professor of Pediatrics & Medicine, agreed to initiate a search for the next leader of the Division. They anticipated that it would take a long time to find a suitable leader to continue the fantastic tradition of excellence and growth created at the BDC by Drs. Peter Chase, Georgeanna Klingensmith, and Robert Slover, over the past 40 years. The time has come to announce a successor, but first the BDC would like to first celebrate Rob for his incredible contributions to the BDC and children with diabetes. Rob joined the BDC in 1994 as an Assistant Professor in pediatric endocrinology & diabetes and rose in the ranks to Professor, in 2013. Since becoming the Director of BDC Pediatric Diabetes Division in 2011, Rob has advanced the BDC’s reputation as a national leader in delivering outstanding care to children with diabetes. Rob’s many accomplishments during his tenure as Director include: increasing outpatient clinic visits by 50%, expanding the outreach program, fostering growth of clinical research, and doubling the size of the faculty and staff. The Division’s budget has also doubled from $4.9 million in 2010 to $9.6 million in 2021. Under his watch, the Division jointly with Endocrinology Section of CHCO achieved its highest ranking (#4) on the U.S. News & World Report listing of best children’s hospitals. Perhaps most importantly, Rob has led the Division in the most gracious and effective way, effortlessly solving multiple challenges by building consensus and leading by example. While stepping down as Director, Rob will remain an active member of the Division, focusing on clinical service, technology research, and the continued development of the BDC's educational programs. We hope you’ll join us thanking Dr. Slover for his years of leadership service and in recognizing his contributions to children with diabetes, the Barbara Davis Center, and the Anschutz Medical Campus community. We are extremely pleased to announce the appointment of R. Paul Wadwa, MD, as Director of BDC Pediatric Diabetes Division, effective July 1, 2021. Paul received his Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering (1992) and MD degree (1996) from Northwestern University. He served as a Pediatrics resident (2000) at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health and as a Pediatric Endocrinology fellow (2003) at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. In 2003, Paul joined the faculty of the University of Colorado at the Barbara Davis Center as an Assistant Professor, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2011 and Professor in 2020. He has served as the Pediatric Diabetes Division medical director since 2016. Nationally, Paul has served the ADA, ISPAD, and other scientific organizations. In 2004-2014 he set the new standards as the medical director of Colorado ADA Camp for Children with Diabetes. Dr. Wadwa has published more than 120 peer-reviewed papers and held >40 research grants. Paul has served as a mentor to numerous students, fellows, post-doctoral trainees and junior faculty who have gone on to have successful independent careers in academic medicine. Dr. Wadwa has an exciting agenda for leading the Division into the next decade, with a vision to improve child health by advancing technology and telemedicine. As the new Director, Dr. Wadwa has been entrusted with a support package that will enable targeted growth of programs of the Division. The BDC greatly appreciates the support of Dr. John Reilly (Dean, University of Colorado School of Medicine), Dr. Stephen Daniels (Chair, Department of Pediatrics), Dana Davis (Executive Director, Children’s Diabetes Foundation) and the leadership of the Children’s Hospital Colorado who have all partnered with the BDC in support of Dr. Wadwa’s appointment. Special thanks to Dr. Georgeanna Klingensmith who tirelessly led the nation-wide search for the new Director. Lastly, we want to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of all the faculty and staff of the Division of Pediatric Diabetes who continue to provide the very best diabetes care while advancing education and research.
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When our two year old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on March 8, 2006 it was the Barbara Davis Center that helped us transition to an entirely new life. 15 years later she is a happy, healthy young woman, ready to embark on her own journey. We wanted to nd a way to give back to the Barbara Davis Center while also helping those who are coming up behind us on the adventure called Type 1 Diabetes. This is why we decided to start 1 Sweet Cruise. Designed to be like diabetes camp & family vacation in one, 1 Sweet Cruise is a social gathering, in an informal vacation format for comfort, support, celebration and just plain family fun! Join us in Alaska June 20-27, 2022 on 1 Sweet Cruise - the annual Type 1 Diabetes Cruise! We will sail on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas out of Seattle and visit Sitka, Skagway, Juneau and Victoria BC. Every reservation includes a donation to the Children’s Diabetes Foundation supporting the Barbara Davis Center. Request your no obligation quote at www.1sweetcruise.com
Mike, Jennifer, Natalie & Jeremy 951.595.8995 info@1sweetcruise.com @1sweetcruise www.1sweetcruise.com
Every reservation includes a donation to
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THE GUILD
2021 CHARLOTTE TUCKER SCHOLARSHIP The Guild of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation proudly awarded $4,000 scholarships to 21 well-deserving patients of the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes who are pursuing their passion through higher education. We are awarding 16 returning students and 5 freshmen for this school year. The recipients are headed into a variety of fields, all with big dreams and an inspiring drive.
This year has been a difficult year for everyone, and the students have shown perseverance and dedication to their education despite all the challenges they face this fall. We are thrilled to honor these special students as they forge forward to a brighter future. A special thanks to our Charlotte Tucker Scholarship Chair, Helen Hanks, for her years of service to the CTS committee. Thank you, to our Charlotte Tucker Scholarship Committee, Ron Carda, Lisa Corley, Lori Finch, Warren Hanks, Carole Kaiser, Lynnie Lucas, Cheryl Lebsock, and Chris Petre. We had an outstanding group that met to review the 31 applicants for the 2021-2022 school year. The process is never an easy one as all the students are truly amazing and it is very challenging to narrow down the recipients.
Emily Arndt Colorado State University
Sadie Cooley University of Nebraska at Kearney
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Keva Browner Chapman University
Ian Fleming University of Colorado Boulder
Helen Hanks Charlotte Tucker Scholarship Chair
Renee Choksey Colorado State University
Trystan Henderson Colorado Mesa University
Sarah Connors University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Amelia Lukassen Western Colorado University
Francis Ntumy University of Northern Colorado
David Prado Arapahoe Community College
Regina Razo Colorado State University Pueblo
Brennan Rundio University of Colorado Springs
Ethan Schieck Metropolitan State University
Trinity Simmons Colorado Christian University
Brody Swenson Colorado School of Mines
Abel Tesfa Colorado State University
Sofia Wendell Northeastern University
Alexandra Wentland University of Minnesota at Crookston
Irene White Community College of Aurora
THE GUILD
Kerry McCawley Metropolitan State University of Denver
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2022-2023 The Guild is always proud to award scholarships to high school seniors and college students who are current patients at the BDC. Applications for the 2022-23 school year will be available at ChildrenDiabetesFoundation.org on November 1, 2021. Patients who are college or trade school bound will be notified regarding applications. If you do not receive information or have questions, please contact Miriam Andolini at 303-6285115 or email Miriam@ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org. Nathan Wright Colorado School of Mines
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2022-2023 CHARLOTTE TUCKER S C H O L A R S H I P
APPLICATIONS DUE
J A N U A R Y
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CHARLOTTE TUCKER SCHOLARSHIP DATES ARE MOVING! WE HAVE RE-EVALUATED THE APPLICATION TIMELINE FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND CHANGED THE APPLICATION DATES. THIS WILL ALLOW STUDENTS TO KNOW IF THEY ARE AWARDED THE SCHOLARSHIP MONEY BEFORE HAVING TO DETERMINE A SCHOOL IN THE FALL.
APPLICATIONS WILL NOW BE OPEN - NOVEMBER 1, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 17TH, 2022
ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org/charlotte-tucker-scholarship
TO QUALIFY, YOU MUST:
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Be a patient at the Barbara Davis Center, seen in the last 12 months Have type 1 diabetes Have a minimum of a 2.0 cumulative GPA Be a high school senior who is planning on attending a 2-year or 4-year college or trade school -OR- a college undergraduate taking a minimum of 12 credits a semester (or equivalent hours)
Save the Date!
SPRING BRASS RING LUNCHEON & FASHION SHOW A P R I L
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H I L T O N
D E N V E R
C I T Y
C H I L D R E N S D I A B E T E S F O U N D A T I O N . O R G
C E N T E R
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CHILDREN’S DIABETES FOUNDATION SPONSORED FUNDRAISERS
Minnesota Fundraiser “Jason Reuter Memorial Fishing Tournament” in Hastings, MN The Children’s Diabetes Foundation went on an adventure to Hastings, Minnesota this past July to attend the Jason Reuter Memorial Fishing Tournament. This fishing tournament featured two tiers of competition: Highest weight in Carp and highest weight in Catfish. The Reuter family decided to dedicate 100% of the proceeds to CDF in honor of the family’s connection to type 1 and the work that CDF and the Barbara Davis Center do to find a cure. The event was a hit, with the entire community coming out to support the Reuter family while also winning some fun prizes! From raffles to trophies, this event had something for everyone! We are so grateful for the hard work the Reuter family put into the tournament and for choosing CDF as their 2021 beneficiary!
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Don’t Sugar Coat It 5K On Sunday, August 15th Nick Salas and his team put on the 4th annual Don’t Sugar Coat It 5K! Children’s Diabetes Foundation Advocates attended and helped direct runners along the course, pass out educational materials, and more! In addition to being the most highly attended race yet, the Don’t Sugar Coat It team supplied breakfast burritos, sweet treats, and had great vendors to pass out free products. Every year, the Children’s Diabetes Foundation receives 50% of the proceeds from this wonderful event as well as a table on race morning to educate about type 1 diabetes and the work CDF does. We can’t wait until next year’s event!
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DIABETES NEWS
A BASIC GUIDE FOR UNDERSTANDING TREATMENTS FOR DIABETIC RETINOPATHY WRITTEN BY: BRIAN BUCCA, OD, FAAO, FORS ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PEDIATRICS AND OPHTHALMOLOGY DIRECTOR, BARBARA DAVIS CENTER EYE CLINIC
We all hope to avoid treatment for diabetic eye disease, but when the situation does arise, there are often questions regarding treatment types and options. In this article, I discuss past and present treatments for diabetic eye disease, why they are needed, positives vs. negatives and their safety profiles. What needs to be treated: Before we get into treatments, let’s first discuss exactly what needs to be treated. There are many things that diabetes can produce in the retina, but only two conditions actually need treatment: Macular edema and Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy. These two conditions require treatment because they have been shown to cause vision loss if left untreated. They can occur separately or together and they can affect one eye or both at the same time. Diabetic Macular Edema Fluid leakage (edema) out of retinal blood vessels that pools in the part of the retina responsible for our central, detailed and color vision (the macula). Images from our world try to come to a sharp focus in this small area of the retina. If this focus must pass through fluid before it has a chance to hit the retina, people recognize that the central part of their vision becomes blurred. Treatment is needed in order to dry this fluid so the light may focus correctly again. In the past, once the fluid had blurred the central vision, there was no way to get the vision back to full clarity. However, new treatments can now restore visual clarity in a majority of patients with macular edema.
Normal retina. Circle shows position of macula (central vision).
Macular edema. The yellow retinal deposits are cholesterol leaking from weak vessels. The fluid/edema is within the circle of cholesterol and involves the macula in the middle of the photo.
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Laser Treatment: Laser used to be our only available treatment for macular edema, but is currently not used in most cases. The laser was focused on the leaky blood vessel and worked by sealing the point of leakage. The best case situation was early detection of fluid that was threatening the central vision and apply laser before fluid had a chance to move into the macula. This preserved a person’s visual clarity. If the fluid was identified after moving into the macula, the clarity of vision was lost and a person could not get that vision back. It was common for new leaks to occur in other areas which would require more laser. Even though the laser was aimed close to the macula, complications and side effects from the laser itself were very rare. Eye Injections: Injections have essentially replaced laser as the treatment for macular edema. Not only do they resolve the fluid, but they also restore vision in a majority of patients. Because vision can now be restored, treatment is needed only when the edema moved into the macula and has affected vision. Unlike laser, this treatment does not burn the retina, but the need for reinjection every 1-3 months is very common because of reoccurrence of the fluid. The ultimate goal is that the fluid will not reoccur and further treatment will not be needed. Better glucose control usually helps this become a possibility. The procedure itself is pretty simple: first the eye is numbed with an eye drop and then the injection occurs in the white part of your eye as you are looking away. Complications and side effects are very uncommon.
New blood vessels in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.
Bleeding new blood vessels in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.
Laser spots applied to the retina to treat new blood vessels.
Laser Treatment: Laser has been, and still remains as the main treatment for PDR. It is the same type of laser used for edema, but it is applied to the outskirts of the retina where the blood flow is poorest. Adding the laser here causes the new blood vessels to shrink and eventually disappear so they are no longer a threat to vision. The whole retina is not treated at first - only enough laser is added to get the new blood vessels to shrink and then there is an observation period to monitor for reoccurrence of the new vessels. Sometimes one session of laser is enough to stop regrowth, but more can be added if the blood vessels come back. Better glucose control can help keep the new blood vessels from coming back. It is important to know that the new lasers do not “steal” your side vision as it once did with old laser, however it may affect how well we adapt to changing lighting conditions such as walking in or out of a movie theater or turning the bathroom light on or off in the middle of the night. Reduced vision at night is also an expected side effect of laser.
DIABETES NEWS
Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR) This is when new blood vessels start to grow (or proliferate) on the retina because of poor retinal blood flow. Higher blood sugars as well as fluctuating blood sugars are in constant contact with the inner walls of our blood vessels. These sugars are constantly chipping away at the inner blood vessel walls, weakening them from the inside-out over time. As a result, blood flow to the retina becomes poorer and can eventually cause new blood vessels to grow (neovascularization) in the outskirts of the retina usually without symptoms. If they are not treated, they can cause vision loss by bleeding or pulling the retina off the back of the eye (retinal detachment).
Eye Injections: This is the same injection that is used to treat macular edema, and it has the same effect on the new blood vessels as does the laser treatment for PDR causing them to shrink and disappear. In general laser treatment for PDR has a more lasting effect on the new vessels as opposed to injection’s temporary effect. Reinjection every 1-3 months is expected to keep new vessels from reoccurring. The positives with injections are that research has shown that they are just as effective as laser in treating new blood vessels, they minimize risk of macular edema occurrence and there are no side effects. Ongoing research is looking to answer important questions regarding injections such as 1. Is there an advantage in using them earlier stages of retinopathy in order to prevent new blood vessel growth? 2. Is there a situation where the new blood vessels might never come back so that reliance on injections will not be needed? 3. Is there an advantage to starting with multiple injections so as to reduce the frequency of injections in the future? In summary, we have good and safe treatments for the visionthreatening occurrences from diabetes, but the idea is to prevent them through blood glucose control. Although the ultimate goal is to prevent these vision-threatening processes from occurring in the first place, early identification and treatment is usually the key to keeping good visual clarity. Most of the things that diabetes can cause in the eye occur in our peripheral retina which keeps them from being detected by the patient (this is the rule, rather than the exception). In other words, this process is unable to be selfmonitored. Keeping up with annual dilated eye exams will ensure early detection of the occurrences that can steal vision.
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FOUNDATION NEWS
RUN FOR THE RING 5K & KIDS FUN RUN On Saturday, August 7th, the Children’s Diabetes Foundation 7th
Annual Run for the Ring 5K Walk, Run, and Kids Fun Run presented by Empower Retirement was held at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes on the beautiful University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Long-time Denver radio personality Robbyn Hart of KBCO emceed the event, and Paige Trumble delivered another stunning performance of our National Anthem. Participants included 24 teams and a total of 400 runners, walkers, and strollers, all coming together in support of reaching the Brass Ring - the cure for type 1 diabetes. This year’s Kids Fun Run was kicked off by Rocky the SuperMascot of the Denver Nuggets, while Bernie of the Colorado Avalanche cheered kids on, and Rapid Man of the Colorado Rapids sprayed kids with water guns as they passed by! It was truly a remarkable year full of fun and excitement for the whole family. A big shout-out to Dr. Lori Sussel and The Barbara Davis Center Research Division Team for winning the largest team with 22 members! First place finishers for our seven age divisions were awarded medals and Runners Roost gift certificates at the awards ceremony presented by Dexcom. Congratulations to our 5K top male finisher Eric Mondo and top female finisher Emma Berg! Another special shout-out goes to Margot Rea, our top individual fundraiser. Be sure to check out the special feature on Margot. Be sure to check out the special feature on Margot as she raised nearly $10K for her own personal Run For The Ring fundraiser! Fundraisers like Margot help ensure that The Guild of the Children's Diabetes Foundation can fund research, promote diabetes awareness and education, assist families in need, provide continuing education scholarships, and sponsor social activities for children and their families. Thank you to our generous sponsors Empower Retirement, 97.3 KBCO, Dexcom, Denver Kids Out and About, Eldorado Natural Spring Water, and Caribou Coffee for your participation. A special thanks to Michelle Shaw of Zyia Shawesome Active Wear for doing our warmup, and event chair Katie Grassby. Run for the Ring is made possible by our incredible volunteers and community. We couldn’t have done this without committee members Christy Alberts, Miriam Andolini, Andrea Bowerman, Lisa Corley, Dana Davis, Lori Finch, Kate Frost, Paige Lindboom, Kate Kiker, and Christy Vasey. Thank you!
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G. Todd Alonso, MD
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Use the QR Code to join our shop-to-support page and help drive our mission forward: Children’s Diabetes Foundation is excited to announce a great new way for supporters, volunteers, and staff to help support our mission... at no cost! We have partnered with Make Shopping Count to launch our very own Shop-toSupport marketplace. The online shopping site features more than 150 of your favorite stores such as Best Buy, Kohl’s, Home Depot, Macy’s, and PetCo, and many more. The list grows each week.
cdf.makeshoppingcount.com
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Hello CDF readers! My name is Erin Calhoun-Dulaney,
and I created the SkirtMyPump for insulin pumpers. I was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic in 1982, at the age of six. Regardless the age of diagnosis, being informed that you are a type 1 diabetic is a life changing experience. At that time, finger sticks and meters were not available to the masses. At that time, things like insulin pumps were such a futuristic idea. Here we are, a couple decades later, able to see our blood sugars literally every five minutes with continuous glucose monitors, and have insulin automatically dispensed into our bodies consistently throughout the day with the technology of insulin pumps.
DIABETES NEWS
FROM ERIN CALHOUN-DULANEY
When I was diagnosed, my parents took me to a clinic for diabetes care in Boston. Not entirely happy with the sterile, hospital environment of that clinic, my parents then took me to the Barbara Davis Center in Colorado, which we all found much more to our liking. I was a patient of Dr. Peter Chase for many years and was lucky enough to have also had the guidance of Sandy Hoops during most of that time. Through my immersion in diabetes circles, and by remaining a patient of the BDC, my family and I were able to stay abreast of the latest in in research, advancements and advancing technologies through the BDC newsletters and blogs. Through the Barbara Davis Center, my parents were introduced to summer camps for diabetic children, an experience that was as life changing for me as was being diagnosed. I was able to find a community of peers who experienced very similar challenges and struggles of growing up with diabetes. I made many friends during those summers, and I continue to be blessed with strong friendships with three of those women. I was a dancer throughout my childhood, performing in competitions across the country until I became a college student. I initially attended Texas Christian University to major in ballet, with the hope and dream of becoming a professional dancer. The toll of being a full-time college student, continuing to maintain a dancer’s physique and a healthy A1C was something I decided I wanted to finally have a bit of a break from. It had been a long, strenuous strain on my body and my mind for many years.
Continued on page 20
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DIABETES NEWS
Going away to school and being on my own, I was awakened and introduced to many other options I could pursue. This catapulted me to completely change my course of action. I transferred schools and completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English. In 2003, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment public relations. Not long after, I was fortunate enough to begin using an insulin pump. For twenty years, I worked in the entertainment industry, working some of the most glamorous and highly publicized award shows in the world. For most of these shows, it would be required to wear black pants and tops, but for some of the more elegant events such as the Golden Globe Awards and the Clive Davis preGrammy party (where I happened to be so lucky to meet Mrs. Barbara Davis herself!), I would be able to instead wear dresses and ball gowns. These events, while incredibly exciting, were stressful for me as my chosen attire made for difficult planning regarding how and where to wear my insulin pump. Of course I could have worn a pants suit to these events, but I much prefer to really dress up, when life calls for that as an option. In 2016, I became acutely aware how the advances in the delivery of insulin have evolved, but the clothing to accommodate had not. I had grown to absolutely love the consistency of having my pump on me at all times, and the steadiness that pumping insulin brought to my blood sugars, vvand therefore to my moods, my train of thought and my entire peace of mind. Conversely, I grew tired of consistently trying to figure out how to wear my pump so it was comfortable and easy to get to when I wanted to wear sundresses or skirts, or when I wanted to really dress up. Then and there I took it upon myself to make my life easier when wearing skirts and dresses. Initially, I came up with a prototype of a slip with a deep pocket so I could wear my pump under my skirts and dresses. This prototype was only
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After years of modifications and self-trials with my design, in 2019 I was finally pleased with the modified designs of the slip, and the SkirtMyPump was officially born. This patent pending undergarment has uniquely placed pockets, zippers, buttons and elastic bands. The SkirtMyPump makes for a safe yet accessible way to wear an insulin pump with a skirt or dress. This innovative slip provides insulin pumping diabetics with maximum freedom to be able to wear insulin pumps with tubing, with their favorite skirts and dresses. Insulin pumping, T1D customers from across the United States, and even across the globe, have also been making their lives easier with the purchase of a SkirtMyPump slip. Brides have written to me, elated that the SkirtMyPump saved their wedding day and made it so they could more easily wear their pump on their big day and not also have to modify their lifestyle to try to figure out MDIs or other options in the midst of all their wedding planning.
DIABETES NEWS
beneficial to me for so long. Modifications were needed to the design so that the slip would both securely hold my pump in place, but also make it so that wearing the slip also made it easy enough to access my pump as well for when I needed to bolus.
This was the exact reason I set out to make this piece of apparel available to others. We’re in this together and it brings me tremendous joy to be able to bring an additional sense of freedom to other T1Ds like me. Living in Los Angeles, some of my colleagues work in wardrobe departments on television shows and movies. Upon seeing and hearing about the SkirtMyPump slip, two of these friends immediately said what a great tool this slip would be for microphone packs on set and for live performances for actors and singers. The slip is presently being used as a way to discreetly hide microphone packs on the set of tv shows including Grey’s Anatomy and Dead To Me. To Learn More about SkirtMyPump, skirtmypump.com.
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2021 BOO BASH
GET SPOOKY HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST ENTER TO WIN A $100 GIFT CARD FOR FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD PLACES! Photo Deadline is October 31st. Winners will be announced on November 2nd.
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Enter to win: http://bit.ly/BooBashContest
Exercise is a big challenge when it comes to type 1 diabetes. Exercise can send blood sugars crazy. Depending on the person, exercise can make blood sugars spike high, or drop low. With me, I go low when I exercise.
I’ve always loved running, pretty scenery and that rush of endorphins. For years, the consequences of a big drop in blood sugar made me not want to run. If I don’t plan my meals and basal correct when I exercise, I’ll go low in the middle of my run. I’m not the type of person who wants to run anytime past 10 am because I personally think the sun is prettier in the morning hours. My endocrinologist, Doctor Alonzo, has always told me that exercise is completely beneficial for my health - type 1 diabetes related and not. As stated, the hassle of having to deal with low blood sugar always stopped me from running; however, a couple months ago I decided to not let that stop me anymore (and it took a long time to get there).
DIABETES NEWS
RUNNING WITH T1D BY CORINNE WATNE
I decided to do some experimenting with my blood sugar and exercise. My blood sugars always runs high in the morning, and no matter what I eat for breakfast my blood sugar spikes. Since I knew exercise makes my blood sugar drop, I wondered if running in the morning before or after breakfast will stable out my blood sugars. And it did. If I run before I eat, I can still shower and have about 45 minutes before my blood sugar drops. If I run after I eat, I will pre-bolus for my meal. My blood sugar will stay in the lower 200s but once I start running it stops my sugars from rapidly spiking and stabilizes it around 170. That is a great blood sugar number for a type one diabetic teenager! I don’t need my hands free when I run and I really don’t like wearing fanny packs when I run, so in order to carry around low supplies (in case I drop low), I carry around a small Juicebox with me. I definitely don’t have it all figured it out, but for now I’ve got a goal and a plan! I love to run and I know I will get stronger and better the more I keep at it.
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HELP SPARK SOME END-OF-YEAR
CHEER Join us in sponsoring families and children living with type 1 diabetes this holiday season! et Targ d Car Gift
Snow Angel $40 - gift for 1 child Super Snowman $80 - gifts for 2 kids Rocking Reindeer $120 - gifts for 3 kids Holiday Hero $200 - gifts for a family of 5 Gobble It Up $50 - assistance for 1 meal Extra Stuffing $100 - assistance for 2 meals
Kin gS Gif ooper tC ard s
Donate at ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org/holiday-assistance or mail your check payable to The Guild of CDF to Holiday Assistance Program 3025 S. Parker Road, Suite 110
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Aurora, CO 80014
Holiday Assistance Program Details
The Children's Diabetes Foundation's Holiday Assistance Program provides families in need at the Barbara Davis Center with gift cards for Thanksgiving and Winter holiday meals, as well as gift cards for patients and siblings to provide presents for the children.
Deadline October 29, 2021 Please contact the social workers or the front desk at the BDC for more details.
Qualifications Patient of the Barbara Davis Center seen in the past 6 months Between the ages birth-17 years as of 12/31/21 Low income/Medicaid 1 application per patient Applies only to patients and siblings *17 and younger First come, first serve basis
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Children’s Diabetes Advisory Board Members and Guild Presidents
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THE GUILD PRESIDENTS:
ADVISORY BOARD:
Founding President, Amy Davis Mrs. Gina Abou-Jaoude Mrs. Christy Alberts Mrs. Jamie Angelich Mrs. Karen Aylsworth Mrs. Linda Broughton Mrs. Tangy Buchanan Mrs. Joy Burns Dr. Bonita Carson Mrs. Lisa Corley Mrs. Nancy Cowee Mrs. Dalyla Creaghe Mrs. Norma D’Amico Ms. Donna Douglas Mrs. Margy Epke Mrs. Chris Foster Mrs. Helenn Franzgrote Mrs. Sally Frerichs Mrs. Debbie Gradishar Mrs. Helen Hanks Mrs. Georgia Imhoff Mrs. Marty Jensen Mrs. Gail Johnson Mrs. Sharon Kamen Mrs. Janet Knisely Mrs. Cheryl Lebsock Mrs. Shelley Lucas Mrs. Suzy Love Mrs. Judy McNeil Mrs. Sally Newcomb Mrs. Barb Oberfeld Mrs. Gretchen Pope Mrs. Carol Roger Mrs. Kay Stewart Mrs. Diane Sweat Ms. Charlotte Tucker Mrs. Loretta Tucker Mrs. Melissa Tucker Mrs. Jane Weingarten
Sir Michael Caine Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Daly The Honorable Diana DeGette, U.S. House of Representatives, Colorado Mr. Neil Diamond Mr. Placido Domingo Mr. John Elway Mr. David Foster Mr. Kenny G Mr. David Geffen Mr. Magic Johnson Mr. Quincy Jones Ms. Sherry Lansing Mr. Jay Leno Mr. Mo Ostin Sir Sidney Poitier Mr. Lionel Richie Mrs. Adrienne Ruston Fitzgibbons Mr. George Schlatter Ms. Maria Shriver Ms. Brenda Richie Ms. Barbera Thornhill Miss Joan van Ark Mr. Gary L. Wilson Mr. Stevie Wonder See complete list at ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org
Children’s Diabetes Foundation 3025 South Parker Road, Suite 110 Aurora, CO 80014 www.ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org
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