Fund A Cure with the Hill Family | Breakthrough T1D Wisconsin Gala 2026
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About The Hill Family
Dear Friends and Family:
We are honored to announce our family has been selected to be the featured Fund-A-Cure Family at the Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) Gala on March 7, 2026!
Our family’s journey with type 1 diabetes (T1D) began on November 3, 2022, when our very active, down-to-earth, well-mannered 12-year-old, Michael, received a medical diagnosis that would forever change his life.
In late October 2022, we began noticing Michael’s appetite increase, yet his weight was not increasing, and he would have times of extreme exhaustion. We dismissed the symptoms as typical behavioral and physical changes experienced by teenage boys…until November 2, 2022, when he suddenly slept the day away. At this point, “mom-gut” kicked in and we knew something was not normal. Our amazing provider was able to squeeze Michael in for an appointment the following morning. We left for the appointment the next morning, leaving our youngest with grandma, as “mom-gut” once again told us our life was going to change that day. Upon our arrival, we assisted Michael to walk from the car to the office as he had become extremely weak overnight. Our provider did not hesitate to check his blood glucose – it was at 400! As parents the shock and fear were immediate! We rushed to the Pediatric ICU where Michael was started on a slow drip of our miracle drug, insulin. Within 24 hours, Michael started on his journey to disease management and wellness!
The first year after diagnosis our family focused on discovering the new normal for us and most importantly for Michael. Our goal was to ensure T1D did not make decisions for Michael, but that Michael made the decisions and T1D came along for the ride. Michael continued to actively participate in his passions: running cross country, playing baseball and golf, making music and goofing off with his friends. The new part for each activity included always carrying a bag with supplies to check his blood glucose, calculate grams of carbohydrates and insulin ratios (good thing he is good at math), giving himself shots and having snacks, along with his emergency medicine if his blood glucose dropped to an unsafe level.
Over the past 3 years, our family has learned how to manage T1D without it managing us. We would not have accomplished this feat without the strength and resilience displayed by Michael or the support we received from Breakthrough T1D and the community of T1Ds and their families. Today, we are asking for your support in achieving our family’s next goal: the discovery of a cure for type 1 diabetes that gives all T1Ds the chance at another new normal – a life without T1D!
In partnership with Breakthrough T1D, a global diabetes research and advocacy organization working to make everyday life better for people with type 1 diabetes, we are honored to have our son and family featured at this year’s Gala! Breakthrough T1D connects the brightest minds to advance treatments, influence policy, and improve access to care. By driving innovation forward, our family believes they will cure type 1 diabetes for everyone, including Michael, within our lifetime!
We would be grateful and honored to have you, and your loved ones attend the One Night, One Mission Breakthrough T1D Gala with us on March 7th, 2026, in Appleton, Wisconsin. This event will be an inspirational evening in support of diabetes research, and the positive impact medical advancements have had on the lives of T1Ds. Our family will be featured at the event and will be speaking in support of the Fund-A-Cure initiative in hopes of achieving our family’s next goal of finding a cure for type 1 diabetes.
Please consider any level of support that makes sense for you; this can take the form of purchasing individual tickets, hosting a table, donating an auction item, or making a Fund-A-Cure contribution. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of every person who faces the daily challenges of T1D.
On behalf of our family, we are extremely humbled to be selected as the Fund-A-Cure Family, and we thank you in advance for your generous support!
With all our love and appreciation,
The Hill Family