Fund A Cure with The Safi Gonzalez Family | Breakthrough T1D Naples Gala 2027

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Daniel’s Story: Fighting for a World Without T1D

We are deeply honored to serve as the Fund A Cure Family for the Breakthrough T1D Gala at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, on February 26, 2027.

On February 25, 2023, our 15-month-old son, Daniel, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Daniel exhibited tell-tale signs of T1D: incredible thirst, lethargy, frequent urination, and later, Kussmaul breathing. All the while, the top children’s hospital where we had taken him dismissed each symptom and blamed “seasonal viruses” for his sickness. We watched our son slip into a coma after being admitted to the hospital for over three days until one visiting nurse recognized that he was in Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) and saved his life. The course of our lives quickly changed, and we found ourselves learning an entirely new language of blood sugar levels, insulin dosing, carbohydrates, sensors, and alarms. Overnight, we became caregivers responsible for managing a complex condition that never takes a day off.

Despite the daily challenges of this relentless chronic condition, Daniel continues to amaze us. His courage, resilience, and joyful spirit remind us every day to focus not on the challenges, but on the possibilities ahead. He handles the finger pricks, device changes, and nightly wakeups with grace, and he has not let T1D change his goofy and inquisitive personality!

While modern technology makes managing T1D easier, our ultimate goal is a world without it. Thanks to groundbreaking developments in CRISPR and beta cell replacement therapies, a cure is closer than ever. Our lives are divided into “before” and “after” diagnosis. And while Daniel doesn’t know a life without T1D, we hope his life is also divided into “before” and “after” the cure.

Breakthrough T1D drives virtually every major research advancement, advocacy initiative, and therapy development in the T1D space. Supporting this organization directly accelerates the development of life-changing treatments and moves us closer to an absolute cure.

We invite you to join us in this fight by attending the Gala and/or donating to our Fund A Cure family page. Each donation will make a meaningful impact on improving the lives of those affected by T1D and will accelerate vital research to get us to the cure. Join us in spreading awareness by sharing Daniel’s story to help educate others on the warning signs of T1D and DKA.

Your generosity brings us one step closer to a world where no family has to live through the diagnosis we did, and hopefully to a cure for all of those living with T1D. Thank you for walking alongside us in this fight.

The Safi Gonzalez Family