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A personal note from Stacy Lavery:
Dear friends, My five-year-old, Rachel, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (aka Juvenile Diabetes) when she was 20 months old. She takes at least 6 insulin shots a day, more if she eats any snacks with carbs, and at least as many fingersticks to check her blood sugar. To date, she's endured OVER 6,500 injections, and counting! We have to count every carb gram she eats, as she gets an injection every time she consumes any carbs. It's a 24x7 job - if she's high at bedtime, and we have to give her extra insulin, we have to check her again around 3am to make sure she doesn't come too low. Low blood sugars affect brain development, and they can be devastating to a growing toddler, so there's no rest for the weary! Thankfully, she's been a trooper through it all, accepting her endless shots and tests, knowing it's part of "how Mommy and Daddy take care of me." She understands that insulin makes her "feel better." She's had to grow up way too fast, as so many other kids do that are dealing with this horrible disease. Many small children run away and cry at shot time, but my sweet Rachel chooses her shot site, and then stands there bravely, awaiting her congratulatory hugs we always give her afterwards for being so courageous. She tells concerned onlookers, "It's no big deal”, though she’s old enough now to express that she wishes she didn’t have diabetes, and that “it’s not fair”. Our youngest daughter, Ally, is 15 months old. She has a significant risk of developing this as well, as her sister was so young at diagnosis. We pray every day that she doesn't get it, and for a cure for Rachel. I'm the State Captain for Maryland for the Join Lee Now Campaign (www.joinleenow.org). I've championed this research ever since she was FDA-approved to begin human trials, and I truly believe it will lead to the cure. The trials are now scheduled to begin in January 2008. We could know in as little as six years if this will translate to humans. No one else has ever permanently reversed and cured Type 1 Diabetes in mice except her. Recently, at least THREE labs have replicated her research, finding that regeneration of the pancreas can happen and reverse long-standing diabetes in mice by stopping the autoimmune attack. Plus, no transplants or toxic immunosuppressant drugs were used. Once they had the treatment, the diabetes went away FOREVER. There’s also much evidence that points to this therapy helping with ALL autoimmune diseases, such as Lupus, MS, Scleraderma, Crohn's Disease, and Grave’s Disease, just to name a few. This is revolutionary science we're talking about - history in the making. There's something bigger than us at work here. Please join us and be part of history. Without a cure, she will face this every single day, for the rest of her life. We need your help. Let's make it so that my little Rachel can one day say, "I used to have Diabetes."
Hopeful for a cure, New Videos featuring Brave Dave Comcast Sports - 'Fore the Good Life"
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Tournament
Date: 
Dr. Denise Faustman and Rachel
