9-Year-Old Los Altos Girl Fundraising JDRF One Walk Taking Place at Levi’s Stadium on October 8

– JDRF will hold its annual JDRF One Walk at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Sunday, October 8, 2017, aiming to raise more than $515,000 to help fund critically needed type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. The event is expected to attract more than 1,000 supporters, including teams representing local businesses, families, schools and other organizations. The JDRF One Walk brings together people who share JDRF’s vision to create a world without T1D for a day of inspiration and fun. Participants can register at walk.jdrf.org/siliconvalley.

Los Altos resident, 9-year-old Nicole Melia, and her family will be among the walkers. Their Walk team, named #NicoleRocks, incudes Nicole’s parents Rachel and Kevin Melia, and her siblings Nathan and Courtney. Nicole was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2015. “She has a really positive attitude and doesn't usually let it get her down. She takes part in favorite activities including cheer, gymnastics, soccer, basketball, and girl scouts,” says her mother Rachel Melia. “She is lucky to have supportive friends that wait for her if she is getting her blood glucose checked or being given insulin, and go with her to the school office if she has low blood sugar,” she says. Nicole wears an insulin pump, a continuous glucose monitor, and a DIY closed loop system. These devices help her keep her blood glucose levels in range. But what the family really wants is a cure for type 1 diabetes. “She is getting tired of all the finger pricks and doesn't like the frequent insulin infusion set and glucose sensor changes. Living with type 1 diabetes is really tough so we are grateful for JDRF for supporting research to improve medical devices that make our lives easier, and for working toward finding a cure,” says Rachel.

JDRF encourages people of all ages driven to support a great cause to participate in the JDRF One Walk and enjoy a day of family-friendly fun with inspirational speakers and refreshments. Pre-registration is recommended and on-site check-in begins at 7:30AM with the Walk starting at 9:00AM. The entire Walk will be approximately 3 miles long.

The dollars raised at JDRF Walks enable research on how to prevent, treat and ultimately cure T1D. This research has led to life-changing drugs, treatments and devices, many of which have already moved into clinical trials and real-world testing