Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Gather in Dallas at JDRF Summit

More than 100 young adults in the greater Dallas area living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) gathered this past weekend to learn about innovative new treatments and technology — and to connect with others living with T1D, including two actors and a former Miss America.

Also at the conference was Chris Ruden, an elite powerlifter from NBC’s The Titan Games.

Actors Austin Basis and Jim Turner shared their experiences of living with T1D. Basis, known best for his role in the recent television incarnation of Beauty & the Beast, said being diagnosed with T1D at the age of eight prompted him to learn responsibility early in life. He also said he worked to turn this perceived weakness into a strength.

Jim Turner, who also is a writer and comedian, has created one-man shows around his life with T1D. He shared his humor with the young people in the audience. Turner has said he has tested his blood sugar more than 75,000 times in his life and he compared the ongoing management of T1D to continually surfing, but never coming in to the shore.

Also addressing the group was Dr. Nicole Johnson, who brought national attention to T1D when she shared her personal story and ultimately won the 1999 Miss America contest. She later earned a doctorate in public health and today is the JDRF National Director of Mission. Her focus is on the relatively new area of research into the psychosocial burdens of type 1 diabetes.

Dr. Johnson told the young people at the summit that the daily burdens of living with T1D could cause “diabetes burn out.”

“Living with T1D can be unrelenting and non-stop and you can feel exhausted and frustrated. Sometimes you are doing everything and not getting the results you want. That happens to everyone,” she said. “It’s OK to not be happy sometimes, but it’s not OK to refuse to seek help.”

The summit brought more than 100 young adults with T1D who live in the Dallas area together. One of them was Rob Howe, who owns an ad agency in Dallas and is an athlete who received a full collegiate scholarship to play basketball. For millennials, he said, living with T1D adds new challenges to a time of life when people already are stressed as they pursue careers and relationships.

“A lot of young adults in Dallas don’t have a community of people around them who really understand what it’s like to live with T1D,” he said. “You doctor does not have time to answer your questions such as whether you can safely have a drink, or just how you can live as normal a life as possible. So bringing so many of u together was so valuable.” Howe is Co-Chair of the JDRF Greater Dallas Chapter’s Young Adult Council

Technology expert Brandon Arbiter told the audience about advances in treatment and technology, such as glucose monitors that hook up to your smartphone, and the artificial pancreas.

More than 1.25 million people in the U.S. live with T1D and 1 million of them are adults. The challenges of continually checking glucose levels and monitoring food intake are burdensome, and the repercussions of too high or too low blood sugar levels can be life threatening.

“For young adults, this summit was so important. This is an age group that has so many important questions. Should I tell someone that I’m dating that I have T1D? What about family planning — or having children someday?” Johnson said. “We talked about body issues and eating disorders. Everyone left feeling more educated and also more connected to the larger T1D community in Dallas.”

The JDRF Young Adult Summit was at the Dallas/Addison Marriot. More information about the T1D community in the greater Dallas area is available at https://www.jdrf.org/dallas/

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 $2.2 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.

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