In two weeks, Bernard Farrell will be riding in the Bike the Miles annual fundraiser to support Dr. Faustman's research to cure Type 1 diabetes. His participation is especially intrinsic because it is one day away from his 35th anniversary of becoming a Type 1 diabetic.

Bernard plans to raise $10,000 for Dr. Faustman's research. Last year he raised $7,500. The entire event raised a whopping $301,000! All of this funding is going toward the human trials to cure Type 1 diabetes. After discovering that the insulin-producing islet cells of the pancreas are capable of regeneration, Dr. Faustman now needs to test her treatment, already known to be safe in humans, to see if the effects are as positive as they were in the animal model.

It goes without say that this is terribly important for Bernard as much as it is for every man, woman and child touched by Type 1 diabetes. Bike the Miles is an annual event that was started by Susan Root and Jacqueline Fusco in 2004. Both, Susan and Jacqueline, have children who are Type 1 diabetics. Please visit Bernard's site to support his ride and the drive to cure Type 1 diabetes!

If you're a daytime tv addict- the upcoming JDRF event might be worth your time and money. And don't worry about missing an episode of Days of our Lives. The event is being held on Saturday, August 25t!

Several stars of NBC's hit daytime drama series, Days of our Lives, are heading to Massachusetts on August 25 to support a charity event for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). From 11am to 4pm, fans will get the opportunity to "meet and greet" their favorite Days of our Lives actors and actresses. There will also be photo opportunities and autograph sessions, as well as show novelties up for sale. However, food and beverages will not be served during the daytime reception, which has been priced at $80 per person.

Among the Days of our Lives stars that are slated to appear that night are James Scott (EJ Wells), Stephen Nichols (Steve "Patch" Johnson), Rachel Melvin (Chelsea Brady), Judi Evans (Adrienne Josephine Johnson Kiriakis) and Blake Berris (Nick Fallon). The JDRF charity event will be held at the Burlington Marriot. Fans who wish to attend the event can order tickets online. For those who will be coming from outside the Burlington area, a block of rooms have been set aside by the hotel specifically for the event. For room reservations, call 1-781-229-6565. Like sands through the hourglass... attend the fundraising event to enjoy the stars from Days of our Lives!

Juice manufacturer Old Orchard Brands is expanding its financial support for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). A press release issued by the company announced intentions to give up to one million dollars in new funding. The company hopes to raise money for the JDRF with its Healthy Balance Challenge, in which twenty cents from each sale of Old Orchard Brands Healthy Balance line of low-sugar fruit juices will be donated to the JDRF.

The JDRF accepted Old Orchard's support last year and, according to Old Orchard, the company has pledged $650,000 worth of cash and product donations through 2009. Money raised through the Healthy Balance Challenge will be in addition to that sum. Arnold Donald, CEO of the JDRF, says partners such as Old Orchard Brands "care deeply about the work we do in researching a cure for type 1 diabetes. They continue to support our organization with innovative retail-driven programs that increase funding for research, and that's a rare and valuable partner to have."

You could also say that every dollar in support for the JDRF equals good publicity and increased sales for Old Orchard. Of course, I would never be so cynical.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Capitol Chapter has become the only JDRF chapter in the country to put a new spin on fundraising. And what better place to do it than Washington? The Chapter is currently planning the second annual Spin to Win fundraiser for next fall.

A proven success with JDRF's Canadian chapter, it is the organization's newest event -- an innovative, high-energy, outdoor event where participants from a variety of local industries pedal to a fast-paced musical beat for 8 minutes in a race to see who can rack up the most mileage and the most money for diabetes research. Each spinner is asked to raise at least $150.

Last year's inaugural event raised more than $75,000 and members of Congress, athletes, and TV personalities were among the participants. The Chapter is looking to double the amount raised this year.

This year's fundraiser will take place Thursday, October 18 at the old DC Convention Center site and involve five-person teams from the Washington business community who have raised money for a cure for diabetes. Visit the Spin to Win web page or call the JDRF office at 202.465.4122 for more information about the 2007 Spin to Win.

Beginning today, advocates across the country will be meeting with their Congressional representatives in an effort to push legislators to approve funding for type 1 diabetes research.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Promise to Remember Me Campaign kicks off at 11 a.m. on the Cannon House Office Building Terrace in Washington, DC. Congressman Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, will join recording artist and American Idol finalist Elliott Yamin at the event. Yamin, who has type 1 diabetes, is set to perform at 5 p.m.

As part of the campaign, the JDRF invites participants to share their story of living with diabetes with legislators and encourage them to vote for type 1 diabetes research. The effort aims to join hundreds of families with legislators in the next 10 months to discuss funding for type 1 diabetes research; Yamin is the campaign's celebrity spokesperson.

Cantor is a sponsor of HR 2762, a bill that would reauthorize the Special Diabetes Program, which coordinates the efforts of research scientists to find a cure for juvenile diabetes.

Seriously, you'd have to have a heart of pure stone not to be moved by this YouTube video called "Hope is in a Cure." To a fairly sappy soundtrack (okay, okay I'm not a Mariah Carey fan), we see a photo slideshow unfold, telling the story of one little girl's daily experiences with type 1 diabetes. The power of this piece is in its simplicity: a series of one family's snapshots illustrates perfectly what these brave kids go through and the sacrifices the whole family must make when type 1 enters a child's life. Not to mention the agony the moms and dads go through. That is something I can only imagine - and hope I never have to experience myself.

There's a heartbreaker of a shot in here of the little girl asleep, hands tucked daintily and securely under her pillow, asleep and in one sense relaxed, yet on guard against the next skin prick she knows will eventually come.

"Hope is in a Cure" was posted by Lisa of Londonderry, New Hampshire. I don't know who made it. Check it out today. Better yet, send the link to a few people you know. Too few people understand what "type 1 families" live with day-to-day. Let people know that diabetes never takes a vacation and never sleeps. And let them know the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation needs our support - you can start by supporting the upcoming Walk to Cure Diabetes.

ImmunoMod has received an FDA Orphan Drug Grant award to pursue human trials focused on preventing the onset of Type 1 Diabetes by protecting beta cell function in early-stage diabetic youth.

When diabetes is first diagnosed, a short window of time known as "the honeymoon stage" exists to preserve the body's ability to create insulin. During this critical stage an individual has the best chance to protect the beta cells and stop the onset of the disease. Studies have shown that regeneration of damaged cells can occur if beta cells can be preserved. The problem to date has been the inability to prolong the preservation of these beta cells.

While some treatments have decelerated beta cell destruction, their effects have been temporary, caused toxic effects and required continuous treatment. ImmunoMod appears to effectively and safely protect beta cells for prolonged periods of time. The goal is to retard or reverse the destruction of these cells during the honeymoon phase, when cells first begin to lose function, which typically lasts about six months. I wonder if it's possible to reintroduce the honeymoon stage for Type 1 diabetics who have already been diabetic for decades?

The Master Cleanser Detox raises my curiosity to insatiable levels. Many stars have sworn by it - from Beyonce Knowles to Robin Quivers. The misconception behind the safety of this practice for weight loss is reviewed by a registered dietician on The Diet Channel. The Master Cleanser is by no stretch of the imagination a healthy way to lose weight. In fact, the Master Cleanser, otherwise known as the Lemonade Diet, is a complete body detoxifying cleanse that has been around for over 60 years.

The Master Cleanser is a combination of simple ingredients in different combinations throughout the day: organic sea salt, water, lemons, syrup, cayenne pepper and a laxative tea. The day begins with a quart of salt water, followed by interval consumption of several cups of homemade lemonade throughout the day. The lemonade contains fresh squeezed lemons and water, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup. The lemon juice is said to dissolve built-up waste in the colon (the master cleansing agent); the cayenne pepper is for ridding the body of mucus; and the maple syrup is for energy. The end of the day includes a detoxifier herbal tea laxative. The herbal laxative is to aid the elimination process and the salt water acts as a colonic flush. The author of the original plan recommends following the diet for a minimum of 10 days, but also says that the diet can be followed for up to 20 days.

On Friday I went to Borders to get my hands on a copy of the Mater Cleanser. Big mistake after I realized it was the debut of the latest Harry Potter book. I should've called! In any event - I forfeited fighting Gryffindors and Hogwarts to find the book. I returned home to scour the internet for personal reviews of the Master Cleanser. The most important thing I discovered was that people who use the Master Cleanser to lose weight are misinformed. The Master Cleanser is intended for ultimate toxin elimination - not weight elimination. For entertaining enlightenment - I strongly suggest reading the Amazon.com customer reviews!!

Former head of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), was executed for taking bribes in return for approving the use of certain medicines. No, you didn't miss anything. The SFDA to which the news story refers is in China. At ease, boys- you're all safe (for now).

Mike Adams of NewsTarget explains in his cartoon that the FDA is a clear and present danger to the health and safety of the American people. The agency is so deeply entangled in protecting drug company profits and corporate interests that it has utterly abandoned its mission of protecting the people. In fact, bribery is routine in the United States drug approval process. A policy exists that allows FDA decision panel experts -- the people who decide which drugs to approve or reject -- to accept up to $50,000 in bribes from drug companies and still serve on such decision panels.

What's really interesting about the press coverage of China's execution is that virtually no one has bothered to call for arresting and prosecuting corrupt FDA officials in the United States. We inherently trust everything we are told by our doctors and our elected officials - we chose them in the first place. It is not until we are awakened to someone else's problem, and realize that it is ours. The U.S. FDA is trustworthy, right? Our people would never stoop to accepting bribes - especially not the president elect for the American Diabetes Association, right?

The News-Record of Greensboro, North Carolina, reports on a local entrepreneur who's come up with a novel way to raise money for a good cause. Land developer Roy Carroll plans to donate the profits from one of his new houses to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Carroll, whose sixteen-year-old daughter has Type 1 diabetes, will make the donation just as soon as the house is sold. All the material and labor for the house will be donated. Carroll expects the house to be finished in November and estimates it will sell for around $168,000.

Generous? Yes. Not to mention something of a tradition, this being the third house Carroll has built as a fundraiser for the JDRF, an organization that Carroll hopes will eventually be successful in its bid to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes. A happy spokesperson for the local chapter of the JDRF says all the money from a big donation like that can be channeled directly to research.

Carroll's wife, Vanessa, is a JDRF volunteer who says being involved with the organization has been her "therapy" since the diagnosis of their daughter Brittany four years ago. As for her husband, he plans to continue doing his bit to help out, saying he will continue to build one house per year for the JDRF until a cure is found. He also hopes this will inspire other people in the construction industry to dive in and initiate similar projects.

NBA player Adam Morrison was sitting on Mary Tyler Moore's left at last Tuesday's Senate hearing on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's (JDRF) Children's Congress 2007. Moore asked the Senate to ante up another five-year round of funding for the Special Diabetes Project ($200 million a year) to support targeted type 1 diabetes research.

To kids with diabetes, Morrison is not just an NBA star -- he is a role model. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 14. Mirroring his all-out hustle on the basketball court, Morrison's testimony to the Senate was 100 percent heart. He shared how playing professional basketball with type 1 diabetes demands a disciplined regimen. He tests his blood glucose levels several times during games, focusing simultaneously on game strategy and type 1 management. He faithfully eats two 5 ounce steaks, vegetables and a baked potato precisely two hours and 15 minutes before each game to keep his blood glucose as stable as possible.

Off court, Morrison wears an insulin pump and tests his blood glucose 10 to 12 times a day. He poignantly explained kids with type 1 diabetes never get a break, they never can call a time out when it comes to their diabetes. Morrison encouraged the 150 Children's Congress kid delegates to dream big, anything is possible, but they need to listen to the doctor and vigilantly keep their disease in check. When addressing the Senators, Morrison asked them to have the same determination to fund the Special Diabetes Project. Insulin is only temporary life support, research is the road toward the ultimate championship -- a cure.

As my parents explained it to me, when your child is diagnosed with diabetes you are slapped in the face with a shocking revelation: we can't fix this! However a blessing in disguise was bestowed upon Dylan Fossella, an 11- year-old boy who also happens to be the son of Vito Fossella, a Congressman from Staten Island.

Dylan Fossella, was just five years old when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He will be one of 150 other children and teenagers living with type 1 diabetes from across the country heading to D.C. on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. They will speak to lawmakers to encourage funding toward a cure. To earn the trip to Washington, he had to write a letter to his local Congressman, who happens to be his dad. The message Dylan most wants his dad and other politicians to hear is the same message I promoted when I visited Washing D.C in the 1990s with the American Diabetes Association: find a cure in my lifetime, please.

Over the years, many people have regarded diabetes as a disease that's manageable. True -- but that's easier said than done. For kids like Dylan that means checking your sugar about four times a day (or more) and upwards of six insulin shots a day. As a personal reflection -- I consider myself lucky to be one of the 13,000 children chosen in 1985 for juvenile diabetes. Here I am 22 years later, blogging on behalf of Dylan. It is my hope that he and his family can make a difference for all of us wishing for that cure. Have a great time in D.C, Dylan. It'll be the memory of a lifetime!

150 children with type 1 diabetes are packing their suitcases and running last-minute errands. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International's (JDRF) Children's Congress 2007 is only a week away! Representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the children, ranging in age from 4 to 17, were selected as delegates for this year's Children's Congress to be held June 17-20, 2007 in DC. Held every two years since 1999, Children's Congress is the largest media and grassroots event held in support of the search for a cure.

Select child delegates and researchers will join JDRF's International Chairman, Mary Tyler Moore, to testify at a Senate hearing. They will ask Congress to support increased overall funding for type 1 diabetes research at the National Institutes of Health. Delegates will also be making Congressional visits.

"Promise to Remember Me" is the children's theme. A raw, honest message to encourage top Congressional lawmakers to remember their struggle and their urgent call for more funding. You bet I promise to remember all the beautiful children dealing courageously with type 1 diabetes. My family will proudly watch for Children's Congress 2007 next week and cheer you on with each beat of our hearts.

Read more about Moore's advocacy for diabetes at this previous post.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) was started in 1970 by a group of parents advocating for their children. JDRF has grown into a powerful research and educational force for juvenile diabetes -- nothing short of amazing!

Check out JDRF's Kids Online, a community of kids handling their disease with grace, humor and courage. Kids Online offers a variety of interactive zones to engage youth and teens with juvenile diabetes. Just a sampling, the Your Life link provides tips to manage the disease from a kid's point of view. Don't miss the Your Stuff link boasting an Idea Zone to share artwork and ideas; Kids Say for a give-and-take of opinions; and Pen Pals where kids can forge friendships with other juvenile diabetics across the globe.

Sneak a peek at Kids Online and be inspired by this on-line playground. If you know a child with juvenile diabetes, make sure to send them a hyperlink!

I marvel at the proactive enthusiasm and extraordinary talent of Kamaal and Malcolm Washington. Kamaal, a type 1 diabetic himself, and his brother have developed comic books that tell the stories of children who learn they have diabetes and find themselves visited by Dr. Diabetes.

The comic book spreads awareness about the disease and empowers those who have it. Their comic books have received awards and taken them around the country to speak about diabetes. Kamaal has served as a Children's Congress delegate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, joining hundreds of other young diabetics in testifying before the U.S. Senate about diabetes research support. Going forward, Kamaal and Malcolm want to create their own animated series and perhaps produce a movie.

Kamaal and Malcolm are working on their third diabetes-themed comic. The comic book tells the story of a politician who refuses to increase funds to find a cure for diabetes and the heroes' quest to change that. Spreading awareness, empowering those dealing with the disease and calling upon political forces to make it happen - I think Kamaal and Malcolm are wise beyond their years. There's no stopping these guys and I'm thrilled to be the one telling you about them. May your super comic books empower us all to become super diabetic heroes!