Fund A Cure with Austin Basis | Breakthrough T1D Los Angeles 2026

About

As a Board Member of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of Breakthrough T1D, it’s been my hope to END Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) once & for all. Raising money through this organization benefits the almost 2 million Americans presently living with T1D by raising awareness & money for diabetes research. As you may already know, I was diagnosed almost 41 years ago with this autoimmune disease. It was just before my 9th birthday in 1985, when my father owned a candy store! I’ve never looked at diabetes as something that would get in the way of me pursuing my dreams, and as a professional actor, I am fulfilling those dreams. But another dream of mine is helping to find a cure for this chronic, invisible illness- so the next generation and the over 350,000 children & young people living with the disease don’t have to go through what I’ve been through.

Currently, there is no way to prevent T1D permanently and there is NO cure… yet! But an FDA-approved therapy called Tzield has created a way to delay the onset of T1D for 24-48 months, and participants in the Eledon trial have achieved insulin independence for up to 2 years so far!!! These are amazing, promising breakthroughs- and there are so many more studies & trials on the cusp of breaking through, as well. Funding research like this is what Breakthrough T1D is all about. I’ve seen it with my own eyes- in my own management of this disease and recently up close when I visited the City of Hope to meet with researchers on the front lines of curing this chronic illness. People with diabetes everywhere are healthier today because of the advancements & innovations made by over 50 years of dedication, research & investment by Breakthrough T1D. 

That’s where fundraising programs like “Fund A Cure” come into play. 100% of every donation through this program is fully tax-deductible and will go directly towards life-changing T1D research. All of these funds will contribute to the next generation of advancements, preventions and hopefully soon: a CURE (or cures). With a “Fund A Cure” donation today, you can be a part of that mission and get to say, “I helped make that happen.”

I hope that one day every child or person diagnosed with this incurable disease won’t have to deal with the struggles and persistent worry that my family & I have had to deal with 24 hours a day since I was eight. My goal as an ambassador & advocate is to show kids with T1D that anything is possible. NOTHING should prevent them from achieving ANYTHING and EVERYTHING they put their minds to. If they want to be a professional athlete, a surgeon, a singer, a tennis player, a Supreme Court Justice or even an actor, they should be able to do that and not have to worry about their health. I also believe that “EVERYTHING happens for the BEST” and I look at being diagnosed with diabetes as a GIFT. Type 1 Diabetes gave me my first big obstacle to overcome, and managing it has given me the skills, structure & motivation to succeed at anything & everything I put my mind to. I wouldn’t be the actor, the husband, the man that I am today without the lessons in personal responsibility I’ve learned from living with diabetes. 

Your donation will not only change lives for people & kids living with T1D, but it will change your own life, too. The pride from your contribution will last a lifetime. And we are so close to, not only one but, several cures. So, please make a “Fund A Cure” donation now to help turn Type One into Type NONE in honor of my 41st diaversary!

Thank you for your time, consideration & support. 

Austin Basis