The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) has renewed its partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to help find the cause and cure of Type 1 Diabetes.
The month of November has been designated as “Diabetes Month” by the SJHL. During November SJHL games, players will be wearing a JDRF sticker on their helmet. “This is a great partnership to help youth of all ages as World Diabetes Day is also held in the month of November,” said Bill Chow, president SJHL.
“Many Saskatchewan residents are unaware of how far-reaching Type 1 Diabetes really is,” said Tyler Bozak, Honorary Ambassador for JDRF and player with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“Not only does Diabetes directly impact over 276,000 Saskatchewan residents, it has a profound impact on their families and how they go about their daily lives. We are dedicated to finding a cure for this disease, and we certainly appreciate the tremendous support of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League to help us reach our goal.”
Type 1 Diabetes, the most severe form of diabetes, is a non-preventable autoimmune disease. It can occur at any age but is most commonly diagnosed from infancy to the late 30s. Unlike type 2 diabetes, it cannot be prevented by diet, exercise or medication and living with the disease demands constant blood testing and regulating. A child living with type 1 diabetes requires approximately 1,463 needles a year and 2,190 finger pokes a year to test their blood sugar – it imposes a very structured lifestyle on a family to adequately monitor the disease, and avoid devastating complications.
“Canadians living with Type 1 Diabetes are insulin-dependent for life with the constant threat of developing complications such as blindness, end-stage kidney disease, nerve damage, heart attack, stroke, amputation and even death. Insulin allows a person with diabetes to stay alive, but, it does not cure the disease, nor does it prevent its eventual complications.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is the leading charitable funder and advocate of Type 1 Diabetes research worldwide. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. JDRF funding and leadership is associated with most major scientific breakthroughs in Type 1 Diabetes research to date in Canada and around the world. It has raised more than $1.3 billion for diabetes research since its inception in 1970, including $170 million in 2017 to over 1,000 grants, centres, and fellowships in 22 countries. For more information, please visit www.jdrf.ca.
