CHILDREN’S DIABETES FOUNDATION — WINTER 2021
35TH ANNUAL CAROUSEL BALL RAISES $1.6 MILLION PAGE 3
CAROUSEL OF HOPE 2020
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NEWSNOTES FEATURES 3
Children’s Diabetes Foundation Board Members EXECUTIVE BOARD: Mrs. Barbara Davis, Chairman Ms. Dana Davis, Executive Director
THE CAROUSEL BALL 2021
Mr. Cameron van Orman, Vice Chairman Richard S. Abrams, M.D., Treasurer
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DIABETES DIALOG
Stephen Daniels, M.D., Ph.D. Chairman of Pediatrics The Children’s Hospital, Denver
CHILDHOOD DIABETES PREVENTION
SYMPOSIUM 11 TIED TO A CURE FLYAWAY
Mrs. Arlene Hirschfeld, Secretary
GOLF TOURNAMENT
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Mrs. Nancy Davis Rickel Daniel Feiten, M.D. Mr. Wayne Forman Mr. Robert Garelick Mrs. Deidre Hunter Mr. Shawn Hunter Mr. Steve Lucas 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
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Marian Rewers, M.D., Ph.D. Ex-Officio Member Mr. Joseph Smolen Mrs. Tracy van Orman
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
Mrs. Stacy Mendelson Robinson
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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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RECORD-SETTING 35TH ANNUAL CAROUSEL BALL RAISES $1.6 MILLION FOR PATIENT CARE AND RESEARCH AT THE BARBARA DAVIS CENTER On Saturday, October 2, 2021, the Children’s
Diabetes Foundation hosted the 35th annual Carousel Ball at the Hyatt Regency Denver bringing together 850 guests for a special night to celebrate and honor those in our diabetes community. The highly anticipated event was presented by Dexcom and featured an incredible evening that included a silent & live auction, dinner, cocktails, and exciting entertainment by REO Speedwagon. At the start of the event, CDF treated guests to cocktails and hors d'oeuvres while strolling through an incredible display of silent auction items including a tour of Jay Leno’s Garage, two Diamondback Union 2 EBikes, and a 4-night stay at Four Seasons Resort Maui. Those mingling also heard beats by DJ Cyn, watched artist Duke Beardsley paint live, and captured pictures on the red carpet. Advocates wearing sashes greeted attendees to share their experiences with type 1 diabetes. Following the cocktail hour, attendees made their way downstairs to the Centennial Ballroom for dinner and the start of the program. Children’s Diabetes Foundation’s Executive Director Dana Davis kicked off the show with a warm welcome. “Looking out at all of you is the most amazing sight! This is what family and community looks like,” Dana said. “Showing love and support for those you care about no matter the circumstances, it’s remarkable”. Dana went on to thank everyone for continuing to support CDF during uncertain times. “Diabetes never takes a break, and neither can we, but together we can support those who need it, raise awareness and as my mom would say reach for the brass ring… a cure.” The program continued with Ellie Hampton coming to the stage to give the prayer for the evening's dinner. Ellie has type 1 diabetes and is a patient of the Barbara Davis Center. She shared with the audience that when she was 6 years old, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. “This disease has changed my life, but it hasn’t changed who I am and what I want to become. Each day brings new challenges that I work hard to overcome, but having support from the Barbara Davis Center, CDF, and generous donors has helped make those challenges easier.”
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During the show, CDF proudly presented Dr. Dan Feiten and Julie Feiten with this year’s Founders Award in recognition of the instrumental role they played in advancing pediatric diabetes care for more than three decades. Dr. and Mrs. Feiten were introduced to the stage by their four children Emily, Ben, Gabe and Jonny, who presented them with their award. Following the Feiten’s acceptance, Fundaneer Halie Behr took to the stage to kick off the evening’s live auction with packages including an extravagant getaway to Los Angeles, a ticket and travel package to Kansas City for a Chiefs/Broncos game, and a pair of diamond and pearl earrings from Trice Jewelers. CDF Advocates with type 1 diabetes joined Halie on stage during the live appeal to call out donation numbers and thank the patrons who pledged funds to CDF and the Barbara Davis Center during the event. CDF also presented Steve and Shelley Lucas with the High Hopes Tribute Award in honor of their 10 years of service and support of the Foundation. Lucas’ were presented with their award by their two children, Lynnie and Kenny. The evening ended with an incredible performance by REO Speedwagon. They rocked the stage and had attendees signing along to fan-favorites “Time for Me to Fly,” "Keep On Loving You,” “Take It On the Run,” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling”. The 2021 Carousel Ball was made possible by Presenting Sponsor, Dexcom. Also, with the generosity from supporting sponsors: The Corley Legacy Foundation; Empower Retirement; The Lucas Family; Toby Pippin & Dr. Marty Tingelhoff; RBC Wealth Management; Iris & Michael Smith; Dependable Cleaners; and the Hyatt Regency Denver. Money raised from the Carousel Ball is an important part of the funding support the Children’s Diabetes Foundation provides to the Barbara Davis Center. The event also raises much needed awareness for people living with type 1 diabetes. The 2022 Carousel of Hope Ball will take place in Beverly Hills, CA on October 8th. Follow us on social media or visit our website for up-to-date information on the 2022 Carousel of Hope Ball.
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Save the Date!
SPRING BRASS RING LUNCHEON & FASHION SHOW A P R I L
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W W W . 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
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BARBARA DAVIS CENTER
DIABETES DIALOG
A DIABETES TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP FOR ENDOCRINOLOGY FELLOWS Clinical trials have shown reduction in hypoglycemia, improvement in glycemic control (A1c) and quality of life with the use of diabetes technologies such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and automated insulin delivery system (AID, aka artificial pancreas).
Despite very strong evidence for the use of diabetes technologies in people with type 1 diabetes, its use in clinical practice is low. Provider’s knowledge and comfort of using technologies can be one of the barriers of using diabetes technologies in clinical practice. It is very unfortunate that it takes 10-15 years to translate the findings of research into clinical practice and our objective is to reduce this time to as much as possible. Therefore, Drs. Viral Shah and H. Kaan Akturk developed a very practical program to provide knowledge and familiarize with various diabetes technologies available in the market as well as upcoming technologies to adult endocrinology fellows. Diabetes Dialog is an annual educational program for nationwide endocrinology fellows hosted by the Barbara Davis Center Adult clinic and supported by CDF. The program receives more applications every year than it can handle since 2018 program beginning. Program chooses applicants from a diverse background, prioritize small fellowship programs that trainees may not have a lot of experience with type 1 diabetes and diabetes technologies. This year Diabetes Dialog was done successfully virtually due to pandemic on October 9-10, 2021. To increase the hands-on exposure in a virtual meeting, attendees receive a welcome box including various educational materials and demos of diabetes technologies and they had an opportunity to try CGM on them.
2019 Endocrinology Fellows
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Dr. H. Kaan Akturk
Dr. Viral Shah
“Endocrinology fellows are the future endocrinologists and diabetologists that they will take care of people with diabetes. We would like to focus on diabetes technology and type 1 diabetes education and trying to fill a gap in fellowship education about evolving diabetes technologies. Our program is open to nationwide endocrinology fellows, and they apply within our website. We received tremendous interest and overwhelming positive feedback and we are thankful to our sponsors including Children’s Diabetes Foundation.” Said Dr. Akturk program codirector. For more information about the program www.diabetesdialog.org
TESTIMONIES BY FELLOW ATTENDEES “Words cannot describe how grateful I am to be accepted to the program and found a powerful opportunity to learn from the experts like you. Thank you so much for not only sharing your knowledge but also inviting other great speakers to teach us. We all appreciate your dedicated work in these challenging times” “Thank you so much for giving us an opportunity to participate in the conference. I am so grateful to all the members of the Diabetes Dialogue team!!"
BARBARA DAVIS CENTER
“Our program is very hands-on where we provide an opportunity to fellows to use CGM on themselves and have hands on experience with all different insulin pumps, CGMs, and smart pens. This workshop makes them very comfortable to use diabetes technologies on their patients to improve diabetes care and outcomes. “said Dr. Shah program co-director.
“Thank you very much for giving us an opportunity to participate in these comprehensive and very interactive sessions. I am thankful to all the presenters who have worked hard to give us the latest guidelines and the updates in the field of T1DM. I am definitely going to highly encourage my junior fellows to participate in it next year” “Thank you so much for making this program possible. I am very thankful for the educational experience, and I hope more fellows will be able to attend in the future. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to be with us this weekend. I also want to thank everyone else behind the scenes who made it possible and all the speakers who presented” “It was an amazing experience for me and I cannot thank you both enough for giving me this wonderful opportunity!” “I am writing to express my gratitude for accepting me to the Diabetes Dialog 2021 though I have submitted a late application. This conference has been of utmost educational value and is hands down the best diabetes conference I have ever attended in my training. Knowing the subtle differences in various pump algorithms is really a game changer for me and has made me very confident in tackling difficult pump downloads”
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BARBARA DAVIS CENTER
CHILDHOOD DIABETES PREVENTION SYMPOSIUM GENERAL POPULATION SCREENING The Barbara Davis Center held its 4th annual Childhood Diabetes Prevention Symposium “General Population Screening for Type 1 Diabetes” on November 12, 2021. This year’s virtual symposium had four main objectives: 1. Review new preventive approaches, 2; Summarize currently available screening tools, 3; Propose the optimal age and frequency of screening; and 4. Establish essential components of follow-up and monitoring of children who screen positive for early type 1 diabetes (T1D). For the full agenda, please go to: medschool.cuanschutz.edu/ barbara-davis-center-for-diabetes/news-events/4thchildhood-diabetes-prevention-symposium Woven throughout the symposium, the Autoimmunity Screening for Kids (ASK) Study led by Dr. Marian Rewers was highlighted as one of the most influential T1D screening programs taking hold in the U.S. Nationally and abroad, screening initiatives are building momentum in a united effort toward making universal screening standard of care. The ASK study identifies general population Colorado children ages 1-17 who are likely to get T1D or who may have undiagnosed celiac disease; T1D and celiac disease are the most common autoimmune diseases in childhood, and the majority of those infected do not have a family history of either disease. In T1D, the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, possibly due to a viral infection. Whereas, in celiac disease, the immune system reacts to gluten in food. A recent study reported 58% of children diagnosed with T1D in Colorado have life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at onset of disease1. DKA occurs when the body does not have insulin to transport sugar into cells to be used for energy. The lack of insulin causes the liver to break down fat, thereby creating ketones that build up to dangerously acidic levels in the blood. Fortunately, the risk of DKA can be decreased to less than 5% when parents know their child has islet autoantibodies and can effectively monitor their child for progression to disease.
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Furthermore, it is estimated that 80% of those with celiac disease are undiagnosed. Celiac disease results in injury to the small intestine and other organs when gluten is consumed. This disease occurs in up to 3% of all people, is increasing in incidence, and starts in childhood but often is not diagnosed until later in life. Early diagnosis and a gluten-free diet prevents poor growth, micronutrient deficiencies and multiple longterm complications associated with the disease.
1. Identify children with T1D before they are very ill with life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), 2. Educate parents and providers on the best ways to monitor children with early diabetes, 3. Offer affected children clinical interventions that may slow down progression of diabetes, 4. dentify children with undiagnosed celiac disease, and help connect them with treatment and resources, and 5. Raise community awareness about signs and symptoms of T1D and celiac disease and the importance of screening. The ASK Program started in 2016 at multiple sites in the Denver Metropolitan area. The free screening includes testing for four autoantibodies associated with T1D and one antibody for CD. During the pandemic of COVID-19, we are seeing an increase in very ill children diagnosed with diabetes. In an effort to look at the bi-directional relationship to COVID-19, an optional COVID-19 antibody test was added to the ASK study protocol in 2020. Children older than 12 months can be screened for T1D, celiac disease, and optional COVID-19 antibody test, with a simple blood test at any one of the ASK screening sites. Children who test negative can be rescreened yearly. Children found to be positive upon confirmation receive ongoing education and follow-up monitoring in partnership with the family and their provider.
BARBARA DAVIS CENTER
In an effort to combat complications associated with delayed onset of T1D and celiac disease, the ASK study has several important aims:
To date, ASK has screened 28,567 children with 3.3% (948) found to have one or more autoantibodies for T1D and 2.7% (766) have autoantibodies to CD. For more information on the ASK study and screening locations, please visit: www.ASKhealth.org, call 303.724.1275 or send questions to Questions@askhealth.org.
1. Alonso GT, Coakley A, Pyle L, Manseau K, Thomas S, Rewers A. Diabetic Ketoacidosis at Diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes in Colorado Children, 2010-2017. Diabetes Care. 2020;43(1):117-121.
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GOLF TOURNAMENT
This year’s Tied to a Cure Golf Flyaway, presented by
McDonald Automotive, was one for the books! Just over 100 golfers joined CDF in sunny Las Vegas on Thursday, October 21st for an all-inclusive round of golf at the prestigious Shadow Creek Golf Course followed by a stay at the luxurious Aria Hotel. The event began in the early hours of Thursday morning with poker games, an open bar, a high-end liquor pull, and breakfast generously donated by the Epicurean Group. Michael McDonald, President of McDonald Automotive and event co-chair, kicked-off the occasion by sharing his personal experience of losing a loved one to type 1 diabetes with the players. Michael, along with event co-chairs Joe Smolen, Todd Schieck, and Dan Fuller shared their gratitude with the players while CDF's Executive Director, Dana Davis and Frankie, Beth and Jason Hodgson spoke of their hope for a cure for type 1 diabetes. With the help of all who attended, sponsored, and supported this tournament, we were able to raise over $100,000 for CDF to support diabetes research, patient support, and awareness of type 1. This was a recordbreaking amount for this event! A tremendous thank you to the golfers who participated, our Eagle Sponsor Lockton Companies, our Bride Sponsors Inspirato and Dan Fuller of Haley Custom Homes/Roger Parker/ Ron Urgitus /Patrick Williams and all those who supported us to make this tournament unforgettable. We are so grateful to our live auction donors Inspirato and Rancho Valencia, the Hodgson family for sharing their lives so candidly, and our feature Pro Long Driver Dan “Smackintosh” McIntosh. Lastly, a special thank you to Michael, Dan, Joe, and Todd for chairing this event year after year and making it the enormous success it is.
FOUNDATION NEWS
2021 TIED TO A CURE
To participate in the 2022 Tied to a Cure Flyaway tournament, please contact Amanda Miller at Amanda@ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org.
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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 18TH, 2022
www.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)
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FOUNDATION NEWS 14
NOVEMBER
WAS DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH Diabetes Awareness Month is observed every November throughout the United States to bring attention to the disease and
those affected by it. World Diabetes Day (November 14th) was created by the International Diabetes Foundation and the World Health Organization in 1991 in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. It is the largest diabetes awareness campaign, reaching over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries. For the month of November, the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center highlighted the importance of mental health for those impacted by type 1 diabetes. Those with type 1 diabetes are 2 times higher risk than their peers to have depression. Mental Health is more important than ever, and CDF recognizes the impact type 1 diabetes has on those with the disease. The Children’s Diabetes Foundation created the #T1DNeverAlone movement which aimed to bring together those impacted by type 1 diabetes and bring awareness to the not only the physical toll t1d has, but the mental challenges as well. Select participants were featured on social media for Mental Health Mondays and also helped educate about the impact diabetes has through Let’s Talk Thursdays and Self-Care Saturdays online. Throughout the month of November, CDF was supported by fundraisers from Kendra Scott, Dillard’s, and Diamonds for Diabetes where a portion of all proceeds benefited CDF. In addition, iconic Denver facilities illuminated their buildings with blue lights! If you drove around town in November, you saw Ball Arena, DaVita Headquarters, The Confluence, City & County of Denver building, Union Station and Empower Field at Mile High light up in blue in support of diabetes. The popular type 1 diabetes toolkit products are back for this year’s Diabetes Awareness Month (November)! Help start the conversation on diabetes and support those with our t1d toolkit shirts and sweatshirts. Visit https:// childrensdiabetesfoundation.itemorder.com/sale to place your order today!
CDF SAT DOWN WITH ELLEN FAY-ITZKOWITZ, SOCIAL WORKER AT THE BARBARA DAVIS CENTER TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES What mental health resources are available for patients at the Barbara Davis Center? Patients who need additional mental health support can always call and speak with one of our asocial workers or ask to meet with one of us at their appt. We can help the family get a better sense of what they might be needing or looking for in a mental health provider and make a good referral. Sometimes, that might be to our own psychologist, Holly O’Donnell, PhD if she is accepting patients. How do I recognize if I or someone I know may need help? Mental health crisis generally involves a person having thought of wanting to harm themselves or others, or someone who is so disabled by their symptoms they are unable to participate in activities of daily living such as showering, getting dressed, eating regularly, working, going to school. We would of course prefer for people to seek help before they get to the point of crisis. Perhaps a person finds they are not finding pleasure in activities they previously enjoyed, or their attention and focus is much worse. They might be moodier, more irritable, or more tearful. Really, mental health is broad, but it ultimately comes down to living your best life that is in alignment with your values, and anyone who feels like they need help getting their life back on track would benefit from mental health support/ therapy. How do you figure out which patients may need help? I personally clinically screen my patients. What this means is that I have a conversation with people about what is happening in their lives, what is bringing them distress, and we talk about what might be helpful. Sometimes, I am able to provide some small interventions in clinic during a routine diabetes visit that patients or families find helpful, other times I might refer them out for therapy. The BDC is conducting annual depression screening as recommended by The American Diabetes Association using an instrument called the PHQ9. We do this in an effort to identify depression early in young people living with T1D so that we can encourage them to get treatment. Anything else we should know about mental health and type 1 diabetes (t1d)? We know that those living with T1D are at increased risk for anxiety and depression. We don’t totally understand the pathophysiology or why but we do know that living life with T1D is hard. People with t1D are required to go above and beyond every day and that can be overwhelming and exhausting. Many years ago I did a review of resilience research. Resilience is defined as strength in the face of challenge or adversity. I wondered if resilience could be learned or is it something we are born with. What I learned from my research is that resilience is really a fancy word for coping and all of us can practice and learn to practice healthy coping skills. I also learned that a common denominator of coping is the ability to ask for help. It’s simple buy yet soooo hard. People have been taught they need be strong and do things for themselves but why? It’s actually healthier to ask for help. So yes, if you are struggling or if you are stuck emotionally, ask for help. It is out there, and it can change your life! Need help? Speak to your doctor, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org
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BARBARA DAVIS CENTER
BDC SPOTLIGHT CHRISTY VASEY
A very special congratulations to BDC's own Christy Vasey who has won
the Anschutz Medical Campus Outstanding Administrative Professional COVID-19 Resilience Award. This award most deservingly recognizes Christy’s exemplary actions in response to the pandemic as well as to many other challenges that she has helped to solve or avert on behalf of our BDC Team. Christy stepped far outside the confines of her job duties and became the glue that held the Center together during extremely challenging times. During the COVID shutdown, she took on a completely new role developing and implementing our building wide COVID health screening program and was instrumental in keeping our building open for well over a year. Christy developed the processes and flow of the program; she recruited, scheduled and trained staff; she monitored quality control and made recommendations to sustain the program over time. She developed new processes as circumstances changed and sent clear detailed communications to keep everyone informed and compliant. As campus began opening up and staffing pressures increased, she masterfully negotiated between BDC divisions and other departments with space in the building to keep the front door trained and fully staffed. In addition to the screening program and her regular duties, she solved access issues, insured that outside deliveries made it to the appropriate person, and became the point person for building facilities and custodial needs. When the labs had a massive leak that threatened equipment, Christy sprang into action. She successfully produced a virtual seminar series, revamped our mail delivery process in the basement and more. As she transitions back to the Executive Suite, her knowledge is still relied on by everyone in the building. The Barbara Davis Center clinical, clinical research, and basic research operations owe a huge debt of gratitude to the efforts of Christy Vasey. Congratulations Christy!
CAROL MENDELSON MEMORIAL FUND On Wednesday, October 6th, the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis
Center for Diabetes were proud to host a small ceremony honoring the recent creation of the Carol Mendelson Memorial Fund. This fund was established by her husband, Les Mendelson and their daughter, Stacy Robinson “to honor her beautiful legacy, and to accelerate the progress of research and help those impacted by type 1 diabetes to live their best lives”. A plaque was placed in the entryway of the BDC to commemorate her life and her dedication to helping those battling type 1 diabetes. Their generosity has had a profound impact on the Barbara Davis Center over the years, and this latest donation is no exception. With the help of this fund, the BDC has been enabled to increase its research capabilities even further. As a part of that expansion, Dr. Lori Sussel has even been able to create a brand-new research assistant position. Donations like these are vital to the continued improvements in patient care fueled by research into new therapies and technologies taking place every day. With the help of donations like these, we are one step closer to a cure!
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As a part of the ceremony, Les shared wonderful stories of Carol’s history as a singer, Stacy's type 1 diabetes diagnosis, and acknowledged his appreciation of all the work the BDC and CDF do to fight type 1 diabetes. As supporters of CDF for over 30 years, we are so grateful for the Mendelson and Robinson families and all they have done to help those with type 1 diabetes.
How can you... Get the same goods, from the same shops, for the same price, AND help support our mission!
Register Now & Start Shopping!
www.CDF.MakeShoppingCount.com
How does it work? Scan the QR code and register with your email address and password (or login with Facebook or Google), then click through to your favorite stores and SHOP! A percentage from every purchase will benefit CDF. Bookmark the page and remember to start there every time you shop to benefit CDF! There are over 200 stores from Home Depot to Petco! Come back for the things you buy every month, for special occasions, and of course, all your day to day shopping needs.
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DIABETES NEWS
DIABETES AND DEPRESSION MY REAL-LIFE STRUGGLE WRITTEN BY: KERRY MCCAWLEY
I have been a type one diabetic since I was 21 months old, and I've
dealt with many ups and downs with my disease. Everyone, from family to doctors, has told me about the possible complications of diabetes, such as retinopathy and loss of limb. Still, no one really discussed depression with me. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "People with diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely to have depression than people without diabetes. Only 25% to 50% of people with diabetes who have depression get diagnosed and treated." With this big of a number, I would think someone would have talked to me about depression. Maybe it was just because I was a kid at the time or that I didn't admit to how depressed I was feeling on questionnaires before my doctors' visits. Regardless of the reason, I struggled with depression since sometime around middle school, with nobody noticing. When I first noticed my depression, I attributed it to being a teenager and having some extra stressors in my life, such as being T1D, having celiac, and having a chronically ill father. My depression wasn't too bad in the beginning, so I didn't pay much attention. However, when my father passed away at the beginning of my senior year of high school, my depression worsened quite a bit. To combat this, I decided to pile my plate with as many things as I could and returned to school four days after he passed. I kept myself busy to keep my mind off my depression and loss as much as possible, which seemed to be the only thing to get me through my senior year. I had depression brought up a lot that year, but it seemed so ordinary as a part of the grieving process that I never reached out for help. As time went on, I still felt depressed, but my depression felt manageable enough. It hadn't really affected my diabetes management, so I thought that I could do it independently. This was until 2020, which I had decided would be my year, as I believe many of us so wrongly thought. I began the year working on my health; I started working out, ate more gluten-free than I ever had before and had my lowest a1c so far. I was really proud of myself, and my depression felt very minimal. Then at the end of February, my grandfather passed away, and the week of his funeral in March, the Coronavirus Pandemic began. I felt like my life had been upended, my grandpa was gone, my classes were online, I lost my job, and I was terrified to even leave the house. My depression took this opportunity to slowly creep back in, and it was there with a vengeance. After the spring semester ended, I started to isolate myself from everyone. I stopped messaging my friends and busied myself with trivial things. This set the tone for the rest of 2020, and my depression came to its worst in December. I was at a very low point. I slept and cried most of the day and stopped caring about my diabetes and celiac. This was when I had a telemedicine appointment with the Barbara Davis Center that I was dreading because I knew I was doing a terrible job of managing my diseases. Still, I couldn't bring myself to correct it. I knew I needed to talk about my depression, but I was so scared of what might happen. During this appointment, I finally broke down and admitted what was going on, and I am so glad I did. The BDC gave me so much support and resources that I didn't even know were out there. In January 2021, I was able to get an evaluation done for depression and anxiety and get onto an antidepressant coupled with counseling. My depression has become more manageable, and now I know how to reach out when struggling. Some days are still hard, but I am working every day to manage my depression, diabetes and celiac. I know it's not perfect, but I am getting there, and I know there are people and resources to support me. I know it's hard to do, but if you are struggling with depression, you must make your best effort to reach out to someone. It's too hard to go it alone.
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Children’s Diabetes Advisory Board Members and Guild Presidents 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
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The Guild of the Children's Diabetes Foundation
The Children’s Diabetes Foundation is the fundraising arm of the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, focusing on patient support, diabetes research, and public awareness. The Guild’s mission is to raise funds for research, promote diabetes awareness and education, assist families in need, provide continuing education scholarships, and sponsor social activities for children and their families.
2022 MEMBERSHIP NOW OPEN! STUDENT(24 & UNDER): $40 YOUNG PROFESSIONAL (AGES 25-40): $50 PATRON: $75 LIFETIME: $750 ONE-TIME DUES
WWW.CHILDRENSDIABETESFOUNDATION.ORG/THE-GUILD
Children’s Diabetes Foundation 3025 South Parker Road, Suite 110 Aurora, CO 80014 www.ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org 20
