Fund A Cure with Ann Atkinson Schnuerer | Breakthrough T1D Memphis Gala 2025

About

When I was 13, my parents noticed I was extremely lethargic, drinking water constantly, and losing weight quickly. Was it just the stress of being a busy young teenager? We couldn’t figure it out. I remember many times being asked how and why I was losing so much weight and I had no answers. I was just as confused as everyone. As it turns out, there was actually one simple yet incredibly difficult answer that the nurse at the ER that Sunday night in March accurately identified the instant she saw me. My immune system had turned on itself and was destroying my body’s beta cells. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in 2002. This autoimmune disease that I had never heard of before that night in March quite suddenly became a central focus in my life and the diagnosis has changed me and my life forever.

I remember my mom coming into my room in the middle of the night to check my blood sugar levels and bring me juice boxes and peanut butter crackers. Exhausted from the stress of relearning how to live life and get through a day in an entirely new way as a young teenager, I slept through it all – she selflessly took on the overnight sugar checks in hopes that I could get a full night’s rest. Now a mother of three young children, I have a deep admiration for the way my mom cared for me during those early years with T1D. It was – and still is – a 24/7 job.

I am fortunate to have access to the latest advancements in technology and insulin-therapies that make living with T1D safer and healthier. While these treatments help lift the burden of managing this chronic disease, my diabetes is still an ever-present challenge. I never get a day off. When I take my kids to the playground, library, or the zoo, I have to pack my own snacks – always multiple – knowing that outings with my energetic young children are almost guaranteed to cause my blood sugar to drop. On the other hand, stress at work is guaranteed to bring about high blood sugars that can be incredibly resistant, so I end up having to bolus, walk, and wait hours to eat. It’s very difficult to maintain the blood sugars I try to maintain and be a good mom, wife, and employee! I often have to let one of these roles slip in order to make it through the day. What so many people take for granted – the simple ability to eat, play, sleep – takes so much more thought for a type 1 diabetic.

Breakthrough T1D is improving life for people with T1D while also pursuing cures and preventions. Statistically, our children are at increased risk for the disease, which means that Richard and I are so encouraged by the progress Breakthrough T1D is making towards a type 1 diabetes vaccine and other prevention treatments.

My goal is to raise $25,000 in support of Breakthrough T1D’s mission. Please consider a 100% tax-deductible gift that directly impacts Breakthrough T1D’s mission. Thank YOU for joining us as we turn Type One into Type None.

All the best,

Ann Atkinson Schnuerer