WE'LL BE RIGHT B
WELCOME BACK.
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS HAVE
DIABETES.
IT IS THE SEVENTH LEADING CAUSE
OF DEATH HERE IN THE U.S. AND
THE MISSION OF THE DIABETES
RESEARCH INSTITUTE IS TO FIND A
CURE FOR DIABETES.
ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WORKS
TOWARD THAT GOAL IS WITH THIS
ANNUAL WALK AND FAMILY FUN DAY.
THE EVENT IS NEXT SATURDAY AND
THOUSANDS OF SOUTH FLORIDIANS
ARE EXPECTED TO TURN OUT.
LET'S FIND OUT MORE NOW ABOUT
THE DRI WALKS.
LET'S WELCOME TO FOCUS THESE
PARENTS WHO HAVE DIABETIC
CHILDREN AND THEY ARE ADVOCATES
FOR DIABETES AWARENESS.
SO WHAT IS IT LIKE TO HAVE A
CHILD DIABETIC?
YOUR CHILD WAS DIAGNOSED AT 22
MONTHS.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE THAT AT SUCH
A YOUNG AGE?
IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT.
EVERY AMOUNT OF FOOD YOU EAT
WILL MAKE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR FLUX
WAIT FLUCTUATE A LOT.
I REMEMBER MANY SLEEPLESS
NIGHTS WORRYING THAT HIS BLOOD
SUGAR MIGHT DROP.
SO WE WOULD CHECK IT THREE OR
FOUR TIMES A NIGHT.
IT WAS VERY TOUGH.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
MY DAUGHTER WAS DIAGNOSED
WHEN SHE WAS THREE YEARS OLD.
SHE IS SEVEN NOW.
WE DON'T HAVE FAMILY HISTORY.
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT YOU.
BUT IT WAS A BIG SHOCKER.
SHE DID GET DIAGNOSED.
YOU KNOW.
TO THIS DAY, SHE TESTS SIX OR
SEVEN TIMES.
SHE HAS A DEVICE THAT MONITORS
HER BLOOD SUGAR.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT IS CARB
COUNTING, SICKNESS, STRESSFUL
ALL OF THAT FLUCTUATES YOUR
BLOOD SUGAR.
I IMAGINE YOU HAD A LOT OF
QUESTIONS.
IT WAS PROBABLY A VERY SCARY
TIME AND YOU NEEDED SOMEONE TO
TURN TO.
ABSOLUTELY.
RESOURCES.
FOR US, WE WERE INVITED TO
GO UP TO DISNEY.
THEY HAVE AN ANNUAL EVENT WHERE
THERE IS A BIG CONFERENCE.
THAT IS WHEN I FIRST GOT
EXPOSED TO THE DRI.
LATER TO FIND OUT THE COMPANY I
WORK FOR WALGREENS HAS AN EVENT
THAT WAS GOING TO HELP FUND
RAISE.
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO
THE DRI AND SEE THE RESEARCH
THEY WERE DOING.
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER
BEING SO FEARFUL, I SAW THAT
THERE WAS HOPE.
UH-HUH.
AND WHERE DOES THE MEDICAL
COMMUNITY STAND NOW?
WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST
RESEARCH FACILITIES HERE IN
SOUTH FLORIDA.
AND ADVANCES ARE KIND OF IN
SIGHT RIGHT?
BUT THEY NEED FUNDING AND MORE
RESEARCH.
YEAH.
FUNDING IS CRUCIAL.
THEY JUST LAUNCHED THEIR
CLINICAL TRIALS.
THEIR FIRST PATIENT WAS ON
AUGUST OF 2015.
WITHIN THREE WEEKS, THAT
PATIENT WAS OFF OF INSULIN.
WITH THE PROTOCOLS, WE NEED
FURTHER TESTING.
WE STILL NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN
CHANGES.
AND, PROTOCOLS TO FOLLOW AND
FUNDING IS CRUCIAL IF WE WANT
THIS BIOLOGICAL CURE.
SO LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT THE
BIO HUB.
I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO SEE
IT.
IT IS A REALLY SMALL SPONGE
LIKE OBJECT THAT IS
TRANSPLANTED INTO THE STOMACH
AREA.
THE ISSUE THAT HAPPENS RIGHT
NOW IS YOUR BODY REJECTS
ANYTHING THAT THE FOREIGN.
SO PATIENTS LIKE, THIS THIS,
THIS PATIENT HAS TO TAKE A
LARGE AMOUNT OF MEDICATION SO
YOUR BODY DOESN'T REJECT THE
FOREIGN OBJECT IN YOUR BODY.
LIKE MY SON AND HER DAUGHTER
WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THIS
RIGHT NOW.
BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF
MEDICATION YOU HAVE TO TAKE IS
LIKE PUTTING YOUR HAND FULL OF
PILLS AND THAT WOULD CAUSE
OTHER PROBLEMS WITH YOUR LIVER
AND KIDNEY.
THEY CAN COME UP WITH ANOTHER
STEP DOWN THE ROAD.
I HOPE IT IS SOON THAT WE WILL
ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR THAT.
THAT BRINGS US TO THE DRI.
WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT?
IT IS OUR SIXTH ANNUAL
EVENT.
IT IS MARCH 5. IT IS A FAMILY
FUN EVENT.
IT IS BASICALLY A CELEBRATION
OF THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO RAISE THROUGH OUR
SPONSORS AND THROUGH OUR
CUSTOMER BASE THAT COMES INTO
OUR STORES.
TO DATE, WE HAVE RAISED OVER A
MILLION DOLLARS TO HELP THIS
FUNDING AND IT IS JUST A FUN
TIME TO GO OUT THERE.
THERE IS FACE PAINTING.
5K.
A 10K RUN.
THERE IS A SUPERHERO EVENT THIS
YEAR.
I READ ABOUT THAT.
THAT IS A NEW SPECIAL THING.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
CHILDREN ARE GOING TO COME
DRESSED AS THEIR FAVORITE
SUPERHERO AND THEY WILL
PARTICIPATE IN THE KIDS WALK.
THAT WILL MAKE FOR
SPECTACULAR PICTURES I'M SURE.
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHER
PARENTS WHO ARE FINDING OUT
THEIR KID HAVES DIABETES AND
THEY ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A
WAY TO COPE WITH IT?
I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO FIND A
SUPPORT GROUP.
BUT WHEN MY DAUGHTER GOT
DIAGNOSED, THE FIRST THING I
WANTED WAS A CURE.
AFTER SO MUCH RESEARCH, I
NOTICED THAT THERE IS NO
BILOGICAL CURE, BUT IN MY
BACKYARD WHICH IS A DIABETES
INSTITUTE, I DID HAVE THAT.
SO I FOUND HOPE.
THEIR FOUNDATION, THEIR
INSTITUTION IS AMAZING TO NEW
PARENTS AND CONNECTING WITH
OTHER PARENTS SO NOT ONLY ARE
THE DOCTORS WORKING AROUND THE
CLOCK FOR A CURE, BUT THEY ARE
ALSO GIVING YOU THAT EMOTIONAL
SUPPORT YOU NEED.
THEY HAVE OPEN DOOR POLICIES
WHERE YOU CAN SPEAK WITH THE
SCIENTISTS.
YOU CAN SEE WHAT IS GOING ON.
BUT OF COURSE FUNDING IS
CRUCIAL AND THESE EVENTS LIKE
THE WALK ARE SO IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE WITHOUT FUNDING, WE ARE
NOT GOING TO GET THAT CURE.
WE WILL NOT GET ANYWHERE
WITHOUT FUNDING.
SO TELL US ONE MORE TIME HOW
PEOPLE CAN PARTICIPATE.
WELL, YOU CAN EITHER GO TO
YOUR LOCAL WALGREENS AND
REGISTER AT THE STORE, OR GO TO
WWW.WALGREENSWALK.ORG AND
REGISTER THERE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE LIT BE A GOOD
TIME.
AND OF COURSE, WE ARE
CHANNELING GOOD THOUGHT TO YOUR
CHILDREN AND OTHERS SUFFERING
FROM DIABETES.
FINALLY THE SUNDER,
SUNDAY, WE HAVE A REMINDER FOR
YOU.
THE COUNT DOWN IS ON FOR THE
FLORIDA PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY
MARCH 14.
EARLY VOTING BEGINS TOMORROW.
THEN NEXT SATURDAY IN BROWARD
COUNTY.
FOR DETAILS, GO TO
CBSMIAMI.COM/CAMPAIGN2016.
THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS
MORNING.
YOU CAN CONNECT WITH ME ON
FACEBOOK.
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER OR E-MAIL
ME.
I WILL SEE YOU DURING THE WEEK
ON CBS4 NEWS AT 5:00 AND 11:00
AND NEXT SUNDAY AS WE PUT OUR
WORLD INTO FOCUS.
HAVE A GREAT DAY.