Sanford aims to cure type 1?

Posted by Cari Roorda

OK, First of all I should make an update on my eyes- I did see a retinal specialist in Sioux Falls who said if at all, that I had "exceedingly mild" retinopathy and that he would expect this or worse since I've had type 1 for 16 + years now. YAY! What fantastic news. Also that I don't need to see him again unless I have any active bleeds pop up.

So on to the topic at hand. This weekend my family and I went up to the Sanford Imagine Festival and had a wonderful time! Rascal Flatts is one of my favorite groups, so I was more than thrilled to see them live! What great entertainers. Aly & AJ and Sheryl Crow were on as well and were wonderful!

The icing on my cake of a weekend is that Sanford announced that they will be "curing type 1" as their project- working with the JDRF to cure type 1 diabetes. They will be building a research center in Sioux Falls to accomplish this. I can't express enough the extreme joy that I feel in this announcement. Who'd have guessed that when I moved to Iowa 8 years ago, I would be within an hour and a half of a drive from where we just could possibly cure type 1 diabetes? I don't know how or when but I tell you I MUST be a part of this! I would work for free if it meant helping to find a cure. No, I am not leaving OCAHS, but I would love to add this to my plate- in several years of course, as I know it will take a while to get things going. Now I know where my education will take me, that is for sure. I am looknig into ways I can gear up for a part in the research with a Master's degree. Like I said, I don't know how or when but I do feel like I was meant to be involved somehow.