Officials with the Western and Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation welcomed the return of the community celebration after a five-year hiatus.
LANCASTER, Pa. — Officials JDRF Western and Central Pennsylvania Chapter welcomed more than 250 guests to the 2024 Central PA Gala, an event that supports research and programs to prevent, treat, and cure type 1 diabetes.
According to JDRF, more than 1.4 million Americans live with Rype type 1 diabetes.
110 people are diagnosed every day.
“We host a lot of community events that bring families together. In Harrisburg, we do a local walk every year, and we usually raise money for that, but it really brings the community together and types It's more important to connect people living with diabetes,'' said board chair Angela Myers.
Chelsea Legone was diagnosed when she was 23 years old.
Two of her children were diagnosed early in life.
“I live with Type 1, and so do Kate and Ryan. So there are three of us living with Type 1 every day in our household,” Ms. Lugone said.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that can develop suddenly, regardless of age or lifestyle.
Without daily supervision, people can face life-threatening hypo- and hyperglycemic episodes.
However, there are ways to manage the disease and continue an active lifestyle.
“We have such amazing technology, and much of that technology is research-funded and supported by JDRF,” Lugone said.
“My favorite is the continuous blood sugar monitor, which tells me if my blood sugar is high or low,” said Kathy Pape, winner.
Kathy Pape's husband was diagnosed with type 1 more than 40 years ago.
She has been a part of JDRF for many years, witnessing advances in detection technology.
“It's about finding out about it and doing something about it and getting actively involved and helping to find a cure and also contributing to education and understanding of Type 1,” Pape said.
JDRF has funded more than $2 billion in research since 1970.
Saturday's gala is expected to raise about $400,000.
The main difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is the way the body processes insulin.
Type 1 diabetics rely on insulin, which is injected or injected into the body.
Type 2 is a condition in which the body cannot use insulin effectively.
Type 1 occurs randomly and can be inherited, while type 2 can be prevented through diet and exercise.
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