Fighting for a cure: Thousands of people walk to raise awareness and money for type 1 diabetes research 

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Fox 5/KUSI has two warriors who live with type 1 diabetes, an auto immune disease with no cure: news anchor Andrew Luria and news/weather anchor Danica McAdam. Type 1 diabetes requires daily insulin injections or doses via an insulin pump to manage, otherwise the condition is life-threatening.

The good news is type 1 diabetes is manageable with insulin and blood sugar monitoring therapies. One-point-45 million people live with type 1 diabetes.

On Sunday, during November's Diabetes Awareness Month, over 1,500 San Diegans walked to raise money to find a cure at the Breakthrough T1D Walk at Liberty Station.

Dozens of families created walk teams each raising between a couple hundred dollars in donations to over $23,000! In total, this year's San Diego Breakthrough T1D walk teams raised almost $325,000! 

Families walked together in their team t-shirts, superhero costumes, and #CureT1D attire for 1.3 miles around Liberty Station. The Breakthrough T1D Walk is all about creating a community for type 1 adults and children to connect, meet and learn from each other's experiences. 

"The walk is about reminding us that we are not alone in our fight against type 1 diabetes," said Fox 5/KUSI team captain, and Breakthrough T1D Board of Directors member, Danica McAdam. "I have had diabetes for 25 years, my mom had it for 53 years before she died a few years ago. I walk for her and myself. I want a cure, we all want a cure, we are all here doing what we can to support research to 'fund' a cure. My mother used to say all the time to me, 'There won't be a cure in my lifetime, but there will be in yours.' I plan to make that wish a reality. By being here today and walking with my husband, children, mother-in-law, my colleagues at Fox 5 and KUSI, my friends, I believe this cure will happen." 

Breakthrough T1D supports both children and adults diagnosed with type 1. To learn more about Breakthrough T1D and the research it supports, please go to its website, Breakthrough T1D. 

The national nonprofit rebranded this year (2024) from JDRF, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, to never deter adults diagnosed with T1D from becoming involved with this nonprofit that has lifesaving research and information for everyone to get involved and learn about. 

Diabetes can lead to severe complications and can be deadly. With tight control though, it can be managed to live but people with T1D tend to have shorter lifespans due to its immediate and long-term complications.