(WTNH) – The Fairfield County Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is hosting its annual JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetess Sunday Oct. 2, 2011 at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk.
Registration beings at 8:30am, with the festivities starting at 9:30am, and the walk kicking off at 10:00am.
Kristen Cusato of WTNH will welcome walkers from all over Connecticut once again to the walk that last year raised over $500,000.
The Walk to Cure Diabetes is an annual celebration of all the fundraising efforts of children and families throughout the year.
This year’s walk will feature children’s activities, special guest Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes, DJ, and for the first time, the Darien Lion’s Club will team up with JDRF to host a food tent where all proceeds go to the Annual Walk.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved.
Type 1 diabetes strikes people at any age. It comes on suddenly, causes dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications.
To stay alive, people with type 1 diabetes must take multiple insulin injections daily or continually infuse insulin through a pump. They must also test their blood sugar by pricking their fingers for blood six or more times a day.
While insulin injections or infusions allow a person with type 1 to stay alive, they do not cure diabetes, nor do they necessarily prevent the possibility of the disease’s devastating effects, which may include: kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, amputations, heart attack, stroke, and pregnancy complications.
- As many as three million Americans may have type 1 diabetes.
- Each year, more than 15,000 children and 15,000 adults – approximately 80 people per day – are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the U.S.
Warning signs of type 1 diabetes may occur suddenly and include:
- Extreme thirst
- Frequent urination
- Drowsiness or lethargy
To register for the Fairfield County JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes go to www.jdrf.org/walk
