Knockout T1D – Presented by Tucson T1D Warriors

About

 

The event is sold out but for ticket inquires or questions please call Lori Leavitt #480-241-8180.

 

The Tucson T1D Warriors are a team of moms, grandmothers and friends who have been personally affected by type 1 diabetes (T1D), inspiring us to raise money to support T1D research. With this passion we have teamed with Breakthrough T1D (formerly known as the JDRF) to help fund a cure. This year, will be our third annual event, last year raising about $90,000 and this year we strive to do more!

The Tucson T1D Warrior Event, Knockout T1D, honors Lily Schneider and Wyatt Jackson, both 5 years old, and both live with T1D. This is a fun-filled event featuring a night of great food, fun activities and an amazing silent auction and  100% of the proceeds go directly to Breakthrough T1D!

Lily’s Story

Lily Schneider and her family were introduced to Breakthrough T1D when she was only two years old. Lily was so tiny and resilient, her family could not believe she was a type 1 diabetic. But, she was and together they would begin the long and ever changing journey of type-one management.

Lily’s parents, Luke and Karley, are so grateful that Breakthrough T1D has been there to support their daughter and provide them with an amazing community of families and experts from the very first day of her diagnosis. Like every family with a type 1 child, the Schneiders have their successes and struggles managing this disease, but they are thankful that type 1 diabetes is more predictable and easier to manage now than at any time in our history.

Luke and Karley know one day there will be a cure, and they believe Breakthrough T1D will lead the way. Even today, Lily can proudly wear her continuous glucose monitor and insulin pump thanks to the technology Breakthrough T1D helped develop. Each dollar and hour that Breakthrough T1D has spent researching in labs and educating our community has made T1D more manageable, more affordable and has moved us closer to real cure therapies.

Wyatt’s Story

Wyatt was healthy, he was happy. He was jumping on the trampoline. He wasn’t sick! If anyone had told Wyatt’s parents, Kasey and Colt, about the journey their family would be on today, they wouldn’t have believed them. Type 1 diabetes came to Wyatt with no warning. There were no red flags or risk factors, no one in the family had diabetes. After Kasey noticed the symptoms and overcame the initial denial, Wyatt was diagnosed with type-1 diabetes at only three years old, but Breakthrough T1D was there to help.

Today Kasey and Colt are thankful for the great team of family, friends, amazing educators, nurses and doctors that have helped their family manage Wyatt’s T1D. Together with Breakthrough T1D they learned about all the advancements with insulin pumps and continuous monitors. Kasey vowed this would not slow her family down and would not hold her son back. She is proud to say it has not. Wyatt would love a life without diabetes and at times he will say such innocent things to his friends like “when my diabetes goes away” or “all I want for my birthday is no more diabetes.” Until then, Kasey strives as his mother to help make his life better in any way she can and she
is proud to be part of the Breakthrough T1D community.

2025 Updates! 

Lily has grown up so much since her diagnosis three years ago. She started Kindergarten this year, and despite her parents’ nerves and concerns about managing her diabetes in a public school system, Lily has confidently played a big role in planning her school meals and carrying her own diabetes equipment. This summer, Lily swam often to prepare for the swim team and traveled to beaches, lakes and mountains with her family where she discovered her love for tubing and fishing!

This year Wyatt is joining his big brother in elementary school where he and his family are learning to navigate T1D with new nurses, teachers and school resources. There are two other diabetic kids starting kindergarten with Wyatt, so he is looking forward to having a new little T1D community. This summer Wyatt spent time exploring the lake and the White Mountains with his family and he is looking forward to playing flag football this fall.