Fund A Cure with Merissa & Jason Davis | Breakthrough T1D Utah Gala 2026
UT
About
We are honored to chair this year’s Breakthrough T1D Hope Gala. This year’s theme, Après T1D, is particularly meaningful to the Davis family as our life revolves around skiing both for work and play. Après Ski is a term used to describe “after skiing” activities including warming up, enjoying good food, spending time with friends and family, and relaxing after a strenuous day on the mountain. There is nothing we want more than to know that we can do the same thing “after diabetes.” To come together after the unrelenting mental and physical drain of diabetes is over, and celebrate with family and friends that we have finally found a cure.
Our son Otto was diagnosed with T1D in 2016 when he was two years old. We had no previous experience with this disease and it quickly turned our world upside down. We’ve spent every day of the last decade, chained to it and the constant management needed to keep Otto alive and healthy. There are not enough expletives to express how we feel about this disease and the unrelenting hold it has on our son and by default our family. At the same time, there are not enough ways to say thank you to the doctors, researchers, software writers, and inventors who have created the medicine and technology that literally keep him alive every day. Breakthrough T1D is behind so much of that and thanks to the research they fund we have seen amazing improvements over the last ten years with more promising advancements and cure capabilities on the horizon.
Otto landed his first backflip on skis this past winter; you can imagine the thrill for a 13-yr old boy, not to mention the pride of his parents. I promise you those aging parents will do some backflips of their own when we cure this disease. So let’s get this Après T1D party started. Please join us in the fight and stand (or ski) with us for Otto, for the millions impacted by T1D, and for the day we say goodbye to this disease forever. We invite you to make a meaningful contribution to the gala whether by joining us on November 14th at the event or donating from wherever you are. Your generosity will accelerate research, breakthroughs, access to care, and cures for T1D.
With all our love and gratitude,
Jason & Merissa Davis