Today is Giving Tuesday and we are grateful for all the progress being made. Our 2024 Fund A Cure Family, Julie Newman and Jamie Burgdorfer want to share their story:

It was December of 1977, a time forever etched in my memory. I was just 15, caught between the carefree dreams of adolescence and the weighty reality of a new diagnosis: type 1 diabetes (T1D). The doctors explained that there was no cure, only the promise of a life filled with careful vigilance—monitoring my blood sugar every moment for the rest of my life. As a teenager striving to fit in amongst my peers, my thoughts went to: Would my parents let me go away to college? Would I be able to have children? By how much will my life be cut short? I was living by the next insulin shot – a once-a-day injection that allowed me to live but dictated my food consumption and activity for the next 24 hours.

Today, after 47 years of living with T1D, I embrace life with a newfound sense of freedom. Thanks to the remarkable advancements in research that have transformed blood glucose management, I have witnessed, firsthand, the incredible progress made possible by Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF). People like me are living healthier lives because of it. But despite these vast improvements, we still have a way to go because technology fails, extreme blood glucose lows and highs occur, and a cure is not readily available.

My family has supported the Gala since I was first diagnosed, selling tickets, bidding in the silent auction, volunteering, and donating to Fund A Cure. People like me are living healthier lives because of the breakthroughs we have championed together. Now, it is my turn to ask for your support. Please help us keep research progress moving forward. Our continued momentum relies on you.

My husband and I are honored to serve as the Fund A Cure family for the Breakthrough T1D Illinois Gala on Saturday, December 14 in Chicago. We invite you to join us for an unforgettable evening dedicated to raising funds and leading the way to a cure. Demonstrating my personal commitment, this year I am quadrupling my financial pledge. Please join us in supporting Breakthrough T1D and make a Fund A Cure donation today. 

Let’s break through, together.

Thank you for your generosity,

Julie Newman

With the support of my husband, James Burgdorfer

2024 Illinois Gala Fund A Cure Family