Dear Family & Friends,
Our daughter Carli was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) on July 8th, 2003 when she was just four years old. An autoimmune attack destroyed her pancreas' ability to naturally produce insulin. Since that day, Carli has been dependent on injecting insulin any time she eats and diligently monitoring her blood glucose level.
When the world looks at our daughter they see a healthy, vibrant, athletic, 16-year-old young woman. But T1D is a disease you can’t always see. What the world doesn’t see is the silent struggle and constant burden Carli endures day after day, year after year.
JDRF is working to lessen the burden of this terrible disease and ultimately find the cure. Research advancements in Carli’s lifetime alone, like the continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and first-generation artificial pancreas technology are a testament to JDRF’s mission.
Yet, T1D is still a disease that commands your respect. You can’t ignore it - it’s always there. As our daughter has grown and entered new phases of life her disease has changed with her. As Carli says, "just when you think you have it all figured out something changes again".
Carli’s not a four-year-old little girl anymore. She’s a young woman in the cusp of many great and wonderful adventures. We don’t know where these adventures will take Carli, but we do know that until a cure is found, T1D will follow Carli wherever she goes.
Every year, JDRF moves closer to the goal of curing T1D. With your help, we will forever change the world - relieving suffering, offering hope and bringing lasting health to Carli and the millions of Americans living with T1D.
Please consider supporting Fund A Cure and help us turn type one into type none.
Until there is a Cure,
The Heimann Family
Mark, Veronica, Carli, Sydney, & Taylor
