The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) held an information and screening session in Canmore on Saturday (Aug. 15) to help raise awareness about type 1 diabetes.
The foundation was joined by TrialNet, an organization specializing in testing and research, which provided screening during the event in Centennial Park.
JDRF’s research is devoted to type I diabetes research, and currently has over 50 studies taking place in Canada.
“We have studies going right now in Calgary and Edmonton,” said JDRF regional manger Duane Schreiner. “We’re really excited about the encapsulation studies, the transition studies and we also help people at all age ranges.”
JDRF doesn’t limit its work to youth, and also focuses research towards pregnancy and diabetes and has raised and spent over $500 million internationally over the last 40 years strictly for research on type 1 diabetes.
“We’re a world wide organization and obviously we have close ties to Canada and the U.S., but we have ties to Switzerland, the U.K., Israel and all over the world where some of the best research is being done,” Schreiner said.
“We can devote money to research in one place for key research so we’re excited about that because that research does come back to us and we have great researchers right in our own backyard – the Edmonton protocol is a very well known research study in type 1 diabetes.”
Schreiner explained one of the reasons for community events is to let people with type 1 and their families know there is great progress being made, such as with human trials planned for Edmonton towards the encapsulation device, which is already taking place in the U.S.
“An encapsulation device, essentially, is an implant in a person’s back,” Schreiner said. “It’s a very easy and quick surgery, and in a perfect world and hopefully in our lifetime it will allow people to go completely off insulin and for people with type 1 diabetes and their families that would be the ultimate.
“The human trials are already starting and I think that is amazing news, we’re very excited about that and I think we’re getting close.”
JDRF wants to get out to meet with more communities, including Canmore, to let the public know the organization is not just focusing on research, but is also there to provide a support network.
“We can talk to people about the encapsulation devices or other research, but also the great support structures we have. We have a community engagement wing and that’s all they do, go out into communities and talk to local diabetes clinics, talk to doctors, talk to nurses, but also talk to the people,” Schreiner said.
“When you see a six year old poking their finger and testing, kids have to do that and we want to take away that stigma. They’re testing and taking responsibility at a very young age for their health and we want to give them a hand.”
