March 2019 Newsletter

March is the month that is often full of transitional weather. We get to see a little of everything Mother Nature has to offer. Let’s hope March has warmer temps and less snow than the past month!

In March, our focus at Breakthrough T1D also spotlights our initiatives for Advocacy work. This year we have four priorities. First, we are working to ensure the renewal of the Special Diabetes Program for 5 years at $150 million per year. This money goes to the National Institutes of Health for diabetes research. Second, we are focused on maintaining pre-existing conditions in health insurance along with high quality and affordable care. Third, ensure that insulin is affordable. Breakthrough T1D supports the proposed call for an end to the rebate system that drives up the price of insulin and reduces choice. Finally, we are continuing to ask Congress to provide strong support and funding for NIH and FDA so that these agencies can continue to advance research and move promising therapies through the regulatory pipeline so they can become available to patients sooner.

The strength of our Advocacy work remains, as it always does, with YOU. Your voice is what is critical for our Legislators to know and understand the impacts of T1D on your family. Your story matters! If you haven’t signed up to be an Advocate, it’s one of the easiest things you can do. To sign up, just text ‘ACT’ to 53731. You will receive periodic updates on our Advocacy work, and most importantly, receive calls to action where you can use a pre-written email and just add a few sentences of your own thoughts and send to your legislators.

Thank you to everyone who continues to lend their voice to the important legislative efforts on behalf of the T1D community.

Have a happy & healthy month ahead!

Karen Abrahamson                     Tammy Beintema
Executive Director                       Development Director

Outreach Report
Walk Ambassadors in Action – Meet our 2019 Sioux Falls Ambassadors


It is a busy time for our ambassadors with lots of Walk activity – attending the kick-off, thanking donors, filming our Walk commercial and corporate partners and volunteering on Walk Day.

Come out to the Walk on April 13 and meet our ambassadors in Sioux Falls.  You can register your team or as an individual at www.walk.jdrf.org

Next Month we will introduce you to our Rapid City Ambassadors.  You can still register your team today at www.walk.jdrf.org
Congratulations to our 2019 Children’s Congress Delegates

We are excited to introduce Danika and Sam as our chapter’s Children’s Congress delegates. More than 200 Children’s Congress delegates from chapters across the country will gather in Washington, D.C. this summer to meet with congressional leaders on Capitol Hill and share their story to raise awareness for T1D and the need for important legislative action. Follow their journey on Facebook at Breakthrough T1D and Breakthrough T1D North Dakota and Breakthrough T1D South Dakota.
Preparing for College? Don’t Miss The Off to College with T1D Workshop

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We are partnering with the College Diabetes Network at the University of Minnesota to host a FREE Off to College with T1D workshop. This interactive panel discussion will be moderated by Heather Lage, RN, CDE, M Health, and will cover topics like campus life, roommates, dining and health services, managing the distance from home, questions to ask during your school search and much more. Parents and students are invited to join us on Saturday, April 13. For more information and to register, visit jdrfcollege.eventbrite.com.
Spring Break Travel Tips

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Many of us are escaping winter and heading to warmer destinations during spring break. Traveling with T1D takes some extra planning. Visit our website for important TSA travel tips. Here are a few other practical travel tips to keep in mind:

  • Pack all your diabetes supplies in your carry-on. If your luggage were to get lost, you still have what you need to manage diabetes and stay healthy.
  • Bring extra supplies – at least two extra of everything.
  • Check your blood sugar more often. When in a different environment and out of your usual routine, it can be common for blood sugars to be more variable.
  • If you are traveling to a different time zone, remember to update the time in your pump to match the time zone you are in – and then don’t forget to reset it when you travel back home.
  • If you’ll be in warmer weather most of the time, have a plan for storing insulin and keeping it cool, such as an insulated lunch box or thermal container with a cold pack. Blood sugar meters and testing strips should also be kept at room temperature and not left out in direct sunlight.
  • And, of course, have FUN!

Research Update
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Our research has three objectives: cure the body’s inability to control glucose, reversing insulin dependence; prevent the progression of the disease in those at risk or recently diagnosed; and treat people living with T1D with new drugs, therapies and devices that make it easier to stay healthy until the cure comes. Recent research highlights include:

Chapter Spotlight
Join the Club!

Rufus is a V1P.  You can make a greater impact on funding life-changing research breakthroughs to cure, treat and prevent T1D by raising your Breakthrough T1D One Walk fundraising bar high. Become an official 2019 Breakthrough T1D One Walk V1P by raising $1000 or more. Rufus is seen here sporting this years’ V1P gift (beanie) which you can receive once you’ve “joined the Club”. Get started at walk.jdrf.org.

Mark Your Calendar

Breakthrough T1D Events
Community Events