Toni Climbs for a Cure
Toni Kerrigan is raising money for Breakthrough T1D
Story
Hi there,
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
My name is Toni Kerrigan and I have lived with Type 1 Diabetes for 11 years in July. In 2024, I'm going to boulder 8,849 meters (the equivalent of Everest) in 9 months to mark my dia-versary, raise awareness about living with condition, and raise money which will fund life saving research to find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes.
Living with Type 1 Diabetes is a little bit like climbing an autoimmune Everest everyday - you count carbohydrates you consume, you calculate your insulin dose based on the carbs you've eaten/your temperature/your activity levels/your general health/your menstrual cycle/your stress levels and administer insulin accordingly. You then monitor your blood sugars/correct with insulin/correct with glucose constantly in a Sisyphean effort to stay in range every single day.
My first waking thought is "what is my blood sugar" and last thought before bed is "what is my blood sugar" - it's relentless and without a cure feels like pushing a rock up a hill every single day, and starting from scratch infinitely.
JDRF is the only charity funding research into finding a cure for Type 1 Diabetes - and Type 1 Diabetes affects 400,000 people across the UK alone. Their research has already funded incredible work which has dramatically improved my quality of life.
For 20 years JDRF funded the research into the Hybrid Closed Loop system which is the insulin pump/CGM combo I have worn everyday for the last four years. My first day wearing the HCL, I burst into tears on the way home from the hospital because of how easy it was to administer insulin on the go with the new system.
The HCL hasn't cured Type 1, but it has vastly improved my quality of life. That's why, this year, I'm going to climb the equivalent of Everest for JDRF to fund research that aims to find the cure.
JDRF exists to raise awareness about T1 diabetes, improve the quality of people living with T1's lives, and find a cure for T1. Together, with your support, we can make these aims a reality.
Will you make a donation today to help me climb for a cure?
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
