Fund A Cure with The Donnellan Family

In February 2023, the Donnellan family’s world changed when their daughter, Lexi, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. What began as a routine doctor’s visit quickly turned into a hospital stay and an urgent education in carb counting, glucose monitoring, and insulin injections. Within hours, Lexi was learning how to manage a disease that requires constant vigilance and life-saving decisions every single day.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body stops producing insulin, a hormone needed to convert food into energy. Managing T1D is a 24/7 balancing act—blood sugar, insulin, meals, and activity levels all influence each other. Even with perfect attention, dangerous highs or lows can still happen quickly and unexpectedly.

For the Donnellans, the mission to cure T1D is deeply personal. Amanda’s younger cousin Ray was diagnosed at 13 and passed away ten years later after a severe hypoglycemic episode while on vacation. Lexi was born five months later and named in his honor — Alexis Rae. Their involvement with Breakthrough T1D is fueled by both grief and hope: grief for the loss they carry, and hope for a future where no family lives with this fear.

Over the past year, Lexi has transformed her experience into advocacy. She led a T1D Awareness Week at her school, launched a districtwide educational campaign, and was recognized by the Ohio Middle Level Association as an Outstanding Student Leader for her dedication.

Her strength inspired her parents, Amanda and Mike, to step forward in service as well. After participating in the Breakthrough T1D Walk and experiencing firsthand the power of the community, they knew they wanted to deepen their impact.

That passion has led them to proudly serve as Chairs of the 2026 Breakthrough T1D Cleveland Gala, an evening dedicated to accelerating research and celebrating the unshakeable resilience of the T1D community.

Your involvement fuels breakthroughs. Here’s how you can stand with the Donnellans and the thousands of families affected by T1D:

Play a vital role in funding cutting-edge research while receiving meaningful recognition for your commitment.

Join an inspiring night where science, community, and hope come together to push us closer to a world without T1D.

100 percent of Fund-A-Cure contributions go directly to research — no overhead, no detours — just pure impact.

Unique experiences and items help create an unforgettable live and silent auction that raises essential dollars for the mission.

Every gift, every ticket, every sponsorship moves us one step closer to the cure families like the Donnellans are fighting for.

Lexi, Amanda & Mike Donnellan
2026 Breakthrough T1D Cleveland Gala Chairs