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JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, hosted an Open House and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018 to celebrate the opening of their new office at Meridian Square.
Countless businesses and donors in the community subsidized the construction of the new office, keeping expenses low and allowing as much funding as possible to benefit local families and the 1.25 million Americans who live with this autoimmune disease.
“We are so grateful for the support of the local type one community,” said Kathy Cleeland, Executive Director of JDRF’s South Gulf Coast Chapter. “We are continually humbled by our generous supporters. The Open House was less about celebrating our office relocation and more about thanking and recognizing the many advocates and donors who helped us get here.”
T1D can strike both children and adults at any age. About 40,000 people are diagnosed each year in the U.S. It comes on suddenly, causes dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications such as kidney, nerve or eye disease. JDRF is committed to advancing life-changing breakthroughs from development to the marketplace and into the hands of people with T1D.
About T1D Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, called beta cells. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. Its onset has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, and—at present—nothing you can do to get rid of it.
About JDRF JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our six international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter: @JDRF or call 239-591-2825.