December 10, 2024 • 19 mins
CHILDREN'S DIABETES FOUNDATION Though Children is in the name, Type 1 diabetes can be diagnosed at any age. The Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes provides a clinical service for children, adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes (also known as childhood, juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes). Additionally, the Center supports substantial clinical and basic science research programs to prevent and ultimately cure this chronic life-threatening disease. Donate to them by clicking here. Find out more about them by clicking here.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is Colorado Gives Day, where we ask you to
dig out your piggy bank and donate to your favorite charities.
One of my favorite charities is well she is not
my favorite charity, but she is working with the Children's
Diabetes Foundation. Dana Davis, welcome back to the show. Thank
you so much for having me. We're so proud to
be one of your favorite charities. Well you guys work with.
(00:21):
First of all, I want to ask you this because
I saw this not too long ago and I meant
to look it up and I've forgotten to right now,
there was a big breakthrough, it seems in type two diabetes.
Earlier this year they did some gene editing type two,
so I too. Yes, Oh so I thought it was
type one.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Well you said type two, but that type one with
type one. So there are some amazing things that are happening,
and there are some breakthroughs that are happening, and we're
hoping and thinking and I know so many people think
that's just so far down the line. But in like,
we think in twenty years that would be a cure,
and I know people feel like that's so far away.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
What we're able to do is figure.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Out right now we can do where we put islet
cells in the body, but we need to still give
people anti rejection drugs. So to be honest, I would
rather be type one right than beyond anti rejection correct.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Correct. So we're so close. We're so close. I didn't
think I could ever say that before.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I actually just had a meeting with our researchers last week,
and for the researchers were very honest and we're very
sort of organic and specific about what we'll share.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
For the first time, they told.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Me they feel like we're close.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Wow, that's got it. I mean, wouldn't it be great
to have your organization go out of business because you
weren't needed anymore? It would be that would be my
ultimate goal.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Yeah, And for right now, our goal really is is
to make sure that type ones who do have it
are getting the best care possible.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Let's start with what's the difference between type one and
type two? Because a lot of people are like, well,
just lose them weight, that this is not a lifestyle disease.
Type one diabetes totally different than type two diabetes. What
is the difference?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
So type one is an autoimmune disease and you can
have markers. We can actually test and see if people
have markers to predispose them to type one, and we
actually can give infusions for two weeks that can delay
the onset of type one. Oh wow, but type one
is an autoimmune disease. You don't do anything, you don't
(02:31):
You didn't cause it. Type two is more about lifestyle.
There are some possibilities. There are Type twos that are thin,
and people are like, well, they're thin and they're in shape,
and that's because the pancreas was stressed and might make
enough insulin. But type one literally your body makes no
insulin and you were diagnosed as a child.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Is that why? Because everybody asked, well, why is it
the Children's Diabetes Foundation when in reality, you can be
diagnosed with type one diabetes at any point. You're thank
you for saying that one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
So when I was diagnosed, I was seven, and my
parents called it the Children's Diabetes Foundation because at that
time they called type one childhood diabetes and juvenile diabetes.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Right right now that's changed.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
I mean I have board members that were twenty six
and thirty one.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
They were diagnosed.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
You can get diagnosed when you're ninety with type one diabetes.
You can be diagnosed at any age. And I'm really
glad you brought that up because it's so important for
people to know. We recently, you know, we have people
that need to know the symptoms. Recently, there was a
teenager who was misdiagnosed not through US, not through SeeU,
but through somewhere else and unfortunately they passed away because
(03:41):
they didn't get.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
The proper care.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
And all it is is a simple blood test and
you'reine test, very simple test.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
What are the symptoms to look for, Let's go ahead
talk about that.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
It's weight loss, it's fatigue, unexplained weight loss.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
To be clear, Like, if you're on a diet you're
losing weight, that doesn't mean you have type one diabetes.
But if you all of a sudden start to shed.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Weight, shed weight, it's like twenty pounds in nothing flat,
it's extreme thirst. Depending on your age, it's bed wedding.
I was wedding my bed at seven. That was not normal, right,
It's it's it's crankiness.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Well then I might have Type two guys.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I mean I say it continues through We're all a
little cranky, right, Like, So it's that it's knowing the symptoms.
We're working really hard on education too, and educating everyone.
I think people just assume they know what type one
diabetes is and says, oh, you know, you're too old
to get it, or you're too healthy to get it,
and that's it's almost like an invisible disease because so
(04:44):
many people look so healthy you would never think they
actually have it.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Well, it seems like now there are like managing diabetes.
There's so many tools on the market now that are
just crazy. The constant glucose monitor that for kids, that's
just got to be a game changer. Well, it's a
god sense. So imagine that you have a one.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Year old who can't quite tell you what's wrong with them,
and you can look and see what their numbers are.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
So I'm wearing one right now and.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
It tells me twenty four hours a day on my
phone what my blood sugars are, right, And it's something
that in the future, they feel like all all people
should be wearing at some point in time in their
life because it's such an important thing.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
To see how food and.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Activities affect you, not just as a type.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
One right, but as a human being. There's some really
interesting stuff happening right now when it comes to personalization.
To your point and one of I just read an
article a couple of weeks ago about a study that's
happening now where people are wearing these glucose monitors and
eating what is we've all been told is a healthy diet,
but some people are finding out certain vegetables are making
their blood sugar go crazy. So we're maybe looking at
(05:54):
a future, well, you will have a very specific eating
plan of like these are your food these are your superfoods,
and they might be different for everyone. It's so cool
the stuff that's cooled.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Is cool, and it's cool that it can all springboard
off of each other. There's so many things that with
chronic illnesses.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
That can help everybody.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
And I think that's the one thing about you know, diabetes,
is there's some really cool technologies that have happened that
can help everybody.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
No, I just got a question on the text line Mandy,
ask her what it's called or what type of diabetes
it is. When the person doesn't have a pancreas, so
that will that's type one. Yeah, that's type and.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
That's sometimes when people have cancer and they're pancreas is removed.
I have a girlfriend who has a father that lived
for twelve years, I mean, and he was older. Without it,
you become Type one in need insulin.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
But yeah, so let's talk about the Barbidavia Center first
of all, because we are so blessed and lucky here
in the Denver Metro to have the Barbi Davia Center
started by your mom. It was because of your conditional
Is type one diabetes hereditary? Is there a hereditary component?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
There is a hereditary component. I don't have it in
my hittree at all. So it's also really possible just out.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Of nowhere for somebody to have Type I know I'm special,
so yeah, it can come out of it.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Can it can be either you know, you know of
it and it's in your genes and and and that's
why it's important too, I think for people to make
sure they get a blood test or to get tested
if you do have it in your family. The Barbara
Davis Center will test you for free, oh wow, to
see if you have the markers and then be able
to let you know if an onset of type one
(07:35):
is coming.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
What what do you guys do at the data DAVA
or they just renamed the center of the Barbaradie. They
need to change, right, we need rebranding. What do you
guys do over there overall because there's so many things.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
There's so many things, it's fantastic. So we do patient
care on the first floor. Second floor there's an infusion
center where we actually able to do there's a few
drugs that you can now infuse and push off the
onset of type one if you have all the markers.
And then the top two floors are a wet lab
and a dry lab, so we.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Do sort of soup to nuts.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
We do everything from care to trying to prevent it
to a cure.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
And that's pretty amazing that there are drugs that you
can give someone to keep their pancreas going if they're
headed in that direction.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yeah, but now it's just getting the testing ryan. Some
of it again is going to be a sticky a
sticky answer, but some of it's insurance. It's a very
expensive drug right now. We're trying really hard to get
it past. We're trying very hard to get as much
data as we can on it so that we can
get it into mainstream.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Is that part of what you do as well, do
you do you help researchers? Do you do you fund
that kind of stuff? Absolutely, we have. We have two
floors of researchers. Wow, so you actually have it. For
some reason, I thought you did grants, But you guys
actually are doing three actually have researchers.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
We have over two hundred and twenty people in the
building at the Barbara Davis Center. I'd say a third
of them are Type one themselves. So I have a
lot of passion for it and a lot of the
researches is going on. We also have the largest clinical
base of patients, so any devices that are going to
come out in the next five years have come through
our center for testing.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Oh wow, We've been able to be a.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Part of it because we have the most children, the
most adults. Ninety percent of the Type ones in Colorado
and surrounding areas come to the center.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Oh that's fantasticcause I got to tell you, every time
we have this have you on the show, I get
an email from someone that says, oh my gosh, I
had no idea this was here. Just found out I
had Type one diabetes. I'm going to go there because
you know, for the education component, because it's scary. I
mean scary, you really do when you get that diagnosis.
I think when you're a child and I don't want to,
(09:48):
you know, speak for your experience, it's a pain. But
maybe because your parents are kind of handling things, it
may not be as scary as it could be. But
when you're an adult and you realize, oh, this is
going to be the right my life, it can be
really intimidating and frightening. So what do you guys do
in the way of education and do you have how
old do you serve?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
We serve literally from day one to we have one
patient that's had it for seventy five years. Oh my gosh,
she's amazing, and you know.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
To one hundred years old.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Education is crucial and my parents wanted to start this
because they wanted to care for the whole family, right,
So part of it is making sure that the siblings
are okay. If it's you yourself, that your partner or
you know your kids are okay with it, it's we treat
it as a whole family in the education and that means,
you know, a lot of times Type ones are twice
as likely to suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts and.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
A function of the I mean, is there a physiological
reason for that or is it just the stress and
the and the sort of yeah, you know, mental where
are you? Yeah, Like, yes, I think it's a little
of both.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
And then actually Type ones are four times as likely
to suffer from eating disorders because there's such a focus
on what you're eating and what that looks like, and
and that can be at any age. That's not just
for kids and not just for teenagers. So mental health
issues is a big push that we do as well,
because it's such a crucial part of it, and taking
care of the whole person, not just your disease, but
(11:19):
making sure your mind, body.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
And soul are Okay, what are the repercussions of untreated
type one diabetes? Obviously people can die. You die, Oh oh,
just that's it, okay. I mean yeah, one.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Hundred years ago, they starved you till you died. Oh my,
that was the treatment before insulin was discovered. Like it's
kind of crazy to think, so to think when people
are like, oh, it's been so long since we've had
a cure, It's like we've only had insulin for one
hundred years and they've known about it since Egyptian times.
There's proof that it was called the sugar urine disease,
(11:52):
and they knew to you know, sort of if there
was sugar, if ants went to where you were urinated,
that you probably they had diabetes. They got crazy, right,
Like it's been around forever.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
So if you don't want to go get tested, just
peel on the ground near an ant pile and see
and see what it's perfect.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
But don't great now people are going to do that
and I'm going to get in trouble as our doctors.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
You're going to be like, what kind of you? But
I don't find that fascinating because we don't think about
the ancient Egyptians. I mean, they had a civilized culture
for the time, but you don't think about the fact
that they were figuring out the internal workings or at
least knowing that something was wrong, right, and it's crazy.
That's amazing, Yeah, I mean, that's just amazing. What are
(12:39):
some of the things that people who are coming to
the center for the first time. What can they expect.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
They can expect a really warm and welcoming place. They
can expect to find people who understand them.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
They can expect to.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Be treated as a whole person, their whole family to
be treated. We make sure a lot of times, like
kids will come over from Children's hospital and little red wagons,
you know, they'll come across after they've been diagnosed. They're welcomed,
they get to meet with a therapist, they get to
meet with a nurse practitioner, they get to meet with
(13:14):
a doctor.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
We do the.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Initial sort of setup, and then a few weeks later
we have them come back. That's a lot of information
to get in the beginning. That's a lot of We
try to connect them with a network. We try to
get them with social networks, and we have support groups
and different things to really help to help them get
through it.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
So what kind of changes have we seen in terms
of life expectancy and the life expectancy since you were diagnosed?
Speaker 2 (13:41):
So when I was diagnosed, they were basically I was told,
you know, to not have children.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
I didn't have children for other reasons.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
But that I couldn't have children and that I could
expect to live like thirty forty years.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
WHOA, And now.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
We have people that are living with it for seventy
five eighty. It'll be my fiftieth anniversary diversary next year,
So we're doing a celebration and a metal celebration because
we have over four hundred patients.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
That I have had it more than fifty years.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
So if the life expectancy has just doubled, it's become
and the quality of life right right, I.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Mean, let's be really, you can extend someone's life, but
their quality of life sucks. What you're really doing, you know,
that's it and now it can be.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
That's one of the bigger pushes too, is with cgms
and pumps in different ways that you can take care
of your body.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
You can.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
I mean you see there's Olympic athletes, there's race car drivers.
You can do absolutely everything. And now even you're allowed
to you know, before you weren't allowed to fly planes.
There are you know, you're allowed to do that now
like it's amazing. There's nothing that you can't do anymore.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
So what are they working on? What are your researchers
working on right now that they feel hopeful that the
end may be near. That would be stem cells.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I mean that would be the implanting of stem cells
and seeing you know what do you maybe put it in?
What it can or cell shell is right, because it's
you know, survives the immune system and it's you know, impervious,
so you can it can come well, come and go,
sorry about that, but working on how to create that
(15:15):
as a protective implant to put it in the body.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
So the delivery system is the challenge. It's the delivery.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
System, yeah, because now they can know they can sit
and watch and see a cell make it into They
can take a beta cell, make it in or an
islet cell, make it into an insulin producing cell. They
can watch it turn green when that happens, they put
an algae on it. They know exactly when it becomes
an insulin producing cell. They can actually really manipulate the cells.
(15:43):
It's just a matter of churning off the autoimmune system
or you know, fooling it.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Right, right, And then that's the issue. I mean, I
read a lot about stem cells. I remember Regenerative Therapy
client that is on the show quite often, and I'm
fascinated by the potential for that. Sure, but it's like
you think about stem cells can be anything. How do
you make sure that they are going to be what
you want them to be? And to your point, an
insulin producing stem cell or you know, to basically juice
(16:12):
the pancreas. That's to make it work the way it's
supposed to. It's all. It's just, isn't it a great
time to be alive?
Speaker 2 (16:18):
And thank goodness there are people that are so brilliant
that understand that. Yeah, you know when I talk to
our researchers and they talk about things and they're so
excited and they get it and it's just not how
my brain works. But so happy that there are people
that think that way.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Well, this is why we have Dana on the show
today because this is Colorado Gives Day, and as we
just talked a little while ago to step Denver, it's
the perfect day to make a donation that could feasibly
I mean we're actually talking about for real, you could
make a donation that can help end type one diabetes,
and then I wouldn't get to see data every year,
but we'd find something to talk about. We'd find some
(16:52):
reason to have you on for another reason. I've got
a few text messages. I want to share this and said,
please tell her that I used to work for her
dad at Davis Oil when he started the foundation. I'm
so proud of how far they've come I think so
it's so incredible. People have been watching you this when
my son participated in the Daisy program until he was
eighteen or nineteen. What's the Daisy program?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
So the Daisy program is one of the programs where
he must have a sibling that has Type one. Oh,
also Celiac and also Chester Celiac.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
And is there a connection there? There is no way.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
There's a big connection with I think it's like half
the Type ones have.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Celiac as well. I have four autoimmune diseases. We'll see
my family. We don't get cancer, we get autoimmune disease.
We have a healthy stream of Celiac's on one side,
and then we've got you know, like soriatic arthritis. I mean,
we got a whole gamut of of autoimmune diseases, just
a carnucopia of waiting for mine to kick in. Like
every time something hurts, I'm like, well here it goes,
you know here what I'm ready down to path just
(17:53):
it's my time. But that's interesting to me. So they do.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
So that program then follows people for a certain amount
of time to see there's two different programs.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
One's Teddy, one's Daisy, and I honestly don't remember which
is the difference. I'm sorry I should know that.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
But one follows type ones that are already diagnosed if
they get a second autoimmune, and.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
One is following.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Siblings or maybe children of people that have type.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
One and following it through. I think that is an
amazing part of this program, because when you have a
kid that has a chronic illness or a disease or
a condition, the other kids kind of get left behind
a little bit out of necessity. It's not bad parenting,
it is out of necessity. You have to direct more
energy to that child who needs that. But what a
wonderful thing for you guys to say, we're going to
(18:42):
bring you all in and we're going to make you
all feel special and.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Loved well, and unfortunately we have a lot of siblings
that are both Type one.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Yeah, we've been finding that more and more recently. Are
we seeing a higher percentage? Are the percentages going up
to the general population or are we just getting better
at catching it. I think it's little bit of both.
I think the percentages aren't a huge jump.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
I mean, during COVID everybody's like, oh my god, there's
you know, there's been a jump, and there wasn't. It
was unfortunately that people were getting to the point they
were in DKA and needed to be in the hospital. Right,
So it's being able to catch it early enough.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
So I think it's it's a little bit of both,
you know.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
It's I don't think it's a huge jump per se, right,
you know, it just depends on the population exactly.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Dana Davis with the Children's Diabetes Foundation, I have put
a link on the blog today where you can go
directly to their Colorado Gives page and make a donation
and maybe be a part of curing type one diabetes.
Those are big words. They are big words, and we'll
hopefully we'll get to clink to the curing of diabetes
very very fantastic and maybe some other autoimmune disease at
(19:44):
the same time. Absolutely, because you got to knock them
out before I get mine. So there you go.
It is Colorado Gives Day, where we ask you to
dig out your piggy bank and donate to your favorite charities.
One of my favorite charities is well she is not
my favorite charity, but she is working with the Children's
Diabetes Foundation. Dana Davis, welcome back to the show. Thank
you so much for having me. We're so proud to
be one of your favorite charities. Well you guys work with.
(00:21):
First of all, I want to ask you this because
I saw this not too long ago and I meant
to look it up and I've forgotten to right now,
there was a big breakthrough, it seems in type two diabetes.
Earlier this year they did some gene editing type two,
so I too. Yes, Oh so I thought it was
type one.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Well you said type two, but that type one with
type one. So there are some amazing things that are happening,
and there are some breakthroughs that are happening, and we're
hoping and thinking and I know so many people think
that's just so far down the line. But in like,
we think in twenty years that would be a cure,
and I know people feel like that's so far away.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
What we're able to do is figure.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Out right now we can do where we put islet
cells in the body, but we need to still give
people anti rejection drugs. So to be honest, I would
rather be type one right than beyond anti rejection correct.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Correct. So we're so close. We're so close. I didn't
think I could ever say that before.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
I actually just had a meeting with our researchers last week,
and for the researchers were very honest and we're very
sort of organic and specific about what we'll share.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
For the first time, they told.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Me they feel like we're close.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Wow, that's got it. I mean, wouldn't it be great
to have your organization go out of business because you
weren't needed anymore? It would be that would be my
ultimate goal.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Yeah, And for right now, our goal really is is
to make sure that type ones who do have it
are getting the best care possible.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Let's start with what's the difference between type one and
type two? Because a lot of people are like, well,
just lose them weight, that this is not a lifestyle disease.
Type one diabetes totally different than type two diabetes. What
is the difference?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
So type one is an autoimmune disease and you can
have markers. We can actually test and see if people
have markers to predispose them to type one, and we
actually can give infusions for two weeks that can delay
the onset of type one. Oh wow, but type one
is an autoimmune disease. You don't do anything, you don't
(02:31):
You didn't cause it. Type two is more about lifestyle.
There are some possibilities. There are Type twos that are thin,
and people are like, well, they're thin and they're in shape,
and that's because the pancreas was stressed and might make
enough insulin. But type one literally your body makes no
insulin and you were diagnosed as a child.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Is that why? Because everybody asked, well, why is it
the Children's Diabetes Foundation when in reality, you can be
diagnosed with type one diabetes at any point. You're thank
you for saying that one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
So when I was diagnosed, I was seven, and my
parents called it the Children's Diabetes Foundation because at that
time they called type one childhood diabetes and juvenile diabetes.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Right right now that's changed.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
I mean I have board members that were twenty six
and thirty one.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
They were diagnosed.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
You can get diagnosed when you're ninety with type one diabetes.
You can be diagnosed at any age. And I'm really
glad you brought that up because it's so important for
people to know. We recently, you know, we have people
that need to know the symptoms. Recently, there was a
teenager who was misdiagnosed not through US, not through SeeU,
but through somewhere else and unfortunately they passed away because
(03:41):
they didn't get.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
The proper care.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
And all it is is a simple blood test and
you'reine test, very simple test.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
What are the symptoms to look for, Let's go ahead
talk about that.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
It's weight loss, it's fatigue, unexplained weight loss.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
To be clear, Like, if you're on a diet you're
losing weight, that doesn't mean you have type one diabetes.
But if you all of a sudden start to shed.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Weight, shed weight, it's like twenty pounds in nothing flat,
it's extreme thirst. Depending on your age, it's bed wedding.
I was wedding my bed at seven. That was not normal, right,
It's it's it's crankiness.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Well then I might have Type two guys.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I mean I say it continues through We're all a
little cranky, right, Like, So it's that it's knowing the symptoms.
We're working really hard on education too, and educating everyone.
I think people just assume they know what type one
diabetes is and says, oh, you know, you're too old
to get it, or you're too healthy to get it,
and that's it's almost like an invisible disease because so
(04:44):
many people look so healthy you would never think they
actually have it.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Well, it seems like now there are like managing diabetes.
There's so many tools on the market now that are
just crazy. The constant glucose monitor that for kids, that's
just got to be a game changer. Well, it's a
god sense. So imagine that you have a one.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Year old who can't quite tell you what's wrong with them,
and you can look and see what their numbers are.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
So I'm wearing one right now and.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
It tells me twenty four hours a day on my
phone what my blood sugars are, right, And it's something
that in the future, they feel like all all people
should be wearing at some point in time in their
life because it's such an important thing.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
To see how food and.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Activities affect you, not just as a type.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
One right, but as a human being. There's some really
interesting stuff happening right now when it comes to personalization.
To your point and one of I just read an
article a couple of weeks ago about a study that's
happening now where people are wearing these glucose monitors and
eating what is we've all been told is a healthy diet,
but some people are finding out certain vegetables are making
their blood sugar go crazy. So we're maybe looking at
(05:54):
a future, well, you will have a very specific eating
plan of like these are your food these are your superfoods,
and they might be different for everyone. It's so cool
the stuff that's cooled.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Is cool, and it's cool that it can all springboard
off of each other. There's so many things that with
chronic illnesses.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
That can help everybody.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
And I think that's the one thing about you know, diabetes,
is there's some really cool technologies that have happened that
can help everybody.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
No, I just got a question on the text line Mandy,
ask her what it's called or what type of diabetes
it is. When the person doesn't have a pancreas, so
that will that's type one. Yeah, that's type and.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
That's sometimes when people have cancer and they're pancreas is removed.
I have a girlfriend who has a father that lived
for twelve years, I mean, and he was older. Without it,
you become Type one in need insulin.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
But yeah, so let's talk about the Barbidavia Center first
of all, because we are so blessed and lucky here
in the Denver Metro to have the Barbi Davia Center
started by your mom. It was because of your conditional
Is type one diabetes hereditary? Is there a hereditary component?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
There is a hereditary component. I don't have it in
my hittree at all. So it's also really possible just out.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Of nowhere for somebody to have Type I know I'm special,
so yeah, it can come out of it.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Can it can be either you know, you know of
it and it's in your genes and and and that's
why it's important too, I think for people to make
sure they get a blood test or to get tested
if you do have it in your family. The Barbara
Davis Center will test you for free, oh wow, to
see if you have the markers and then be able
to let you know if an onset of type one
(07:35):
is coming.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
What what do you guys do at the data DAVA
or they just renamed the center of the Barbaradie. They
need to change, right, we need rebranding. What do you
guys do over there overall because there's so many things.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
There's so many things, it's fantastic. So we do patient
care on the first floor. Second floor there's an infusion
center where we actually able to do there's a few
drugs that you can now infuse and push off the
onset of type one if you have all the markers.
And then the top two floors are a wet lab
and a dry lab, so we.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Do sort of soup to nuts.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
We do everything from care to trying to prevent it
to a cure.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
And that's pretty amazing that there are drugs that you
can give someone to keep their pancreas going if they're
headed in that direction.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yeah, but now it's just getting the testing ryan. Some
of it again is going to be a sticky a
sticky answer, but some of it's insurance. It's a very
expensive drug right now. We're trying really hard to get
it past. We're trying very hard to get as much
data as we can on it so that we can
get it into mainstream.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Is that part of what you do as well, do
you do you help researchers? Do you do you fund
that kind of stuff? Absolutely, we have. We have two
floors of researchers. Wow, so you actually have it. For
some reason, I thought you did grants, But you guys
actually are doing three actually have researchers.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
We have over two hundred and twenty people in the
building at the Barbara Davis Center. I'd say a third
of them are Type one themselves. So I have a
lot of passion for it and a lot of the
researches is going on. We also have the largest clinical
base of patients, so any devices that are going to
come out in the next five years have come through
our center for testing.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Oh wow, We've been able to be a.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Part of it because we have the most children, the
most adults. Ninety percent of the Type ones in Colorado
and surrounding areas come to the center.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Oh that's fantasticcause I got to tell you, every time
we have this have you on the show, I get
an email from someone that says, oh my gosh, I
had no idea this was here. Just found out I
had Type one diabetes. I'm going to go there because
you know, for the education component, because it's scary. I
mean scary, you really do when you get that diagnosis.
I think when you're a child and I don't want to,
(09:48):
you know, speak for your experience, it's a pain. But
maybe because your parents are kind of handling things, it
may not be as scary as it could be. But
when you're an adult and you realize, oh, this is
going to be the right my life, it can be
really intimidating and frightening. So what do you guys do
in the way of education and do you have how
old do you serve?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
We serve literally from day one to we have one
patient that's had it for seventy five years. Oh my gosh,
she's amazing, and you know.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
To one hundred years old.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Education is crucial and my parents wanted to start this
because they wanted to care for the whole family, right,
So part of it is making sure that the siblings
are okay. If it's you yourself, that your partner or
you know your kids are okay with it, it's we treat
it as a whole family in the education and that means,
you know, a lot of times Type ones are twice
as likely to suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts and.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
A function of the I mean, is there a physiological
reason for that or is it just the stress and
the and the sort of yeah, you know, mental where
are you? Yeah, Like, yes, I think it's a little
of both.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
And then actually Type ones are four times as likely
to suffer from eating disorders because there's such a focus
on what you're eating and what that looks like, and
and that can be at any age. That's not just
for kids and not just for teenagers. So mental health
issues is a big push that we do as well,
because it's such a crucial part of it, and taking
care of the whole person, not just your disease, but
(11:19):
making sure your mind, body.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
And soul are Okay, what are the repercussions of untreated
type one diabetes? Obviously people can die. You die, Oh oh,
just that's it, okay. I mean yeah, one.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Hundred years ago, they starved you till you died. Oh my,
that was the treatment before insulin was discovered. Like it's
kind of crazy to think, so to think when people
are like, oh, it's been so long since we've had
a cure, It's like we've only had insulin for one
hundred years and they've known about it since Egyptian times.
There's proof that it was called the sugar urine disease,
(11:52):
and they knew to you know, sort of if there
was sugar, if ants went to where you were urinated,
that you probably they had diabetes. They got crazy, right,
Like it's been around forever.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
So if you don't want to go get tested, just
peel on the ground near an ant pile and see
and see what it's perfect.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
But don't great now people are going to do that
and I'm going to get in trouble as our doctors.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
You're going to be like, what kind of you? But
I don't find that fascinating because we don't think about
the ancient Egyptians. I mean, they had a civilized culture
for the time, but you don't think about the fact
that they were figuring out the internal workings or at
least knowing that something was wrong, right, and it's crazy.
That's amazing, Yeah, I mean, that's just amazing. What are
(12:39):
some of the things that people who are coming to
the center for the first time. What can they expect.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
They can expect a really warm and welcoming place. They
can expect to find people who understand them.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
They can expect to.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Be treated as a whole person, their whole family to
be treated. We make sure a lot of times, like
kids will come over from Children's hospital and little red wagons,
you know, they'll come across after they've been diagnosed. They're welcomed,
they get to meet with a therapist, they get to
meet with a nurse practitioner, they get to meet with
(13:14):
a doctor.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
We do the.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Initial sort of setup, and then a few weeks later
we have them come back. That's a lot of information
to get in the beginning. That's a lot of We
try to connect them with a network. We try to
get them with social networks, and we have support groups
and different things to really help to help them get
through it.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
So what kind of changes have we seen in terms
of life expectancy and the life expectancy since you were diagnosed?
Speaker 2 (13:41):
So when I was diagnosed, they were basically I was told,
you know, to not have children.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
I didn't have children for other reasons.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
But that I couldn't have children and that I could
expect to live like thirty forty years.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
WHOA, And now.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
We have people that are living with it for seventy
five eighty. It'll be my fiftieth anniversary diversary next year,
So we're doing a celebration and a metal celebration because
we have over four hundred patients.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
That I have had it more than fifty years.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
So if the life expectancy has just doubled, it's become
and the quality of life right right, I.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Mean, let's be really, you can extend someone's life, but
their quality of life sucks. What you're really doing, you know,
that's it and now it can be.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
That's one of the bigger pushes too, is with cgms
and pumps in different ways that you can take care
of your body.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
You can.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
I mean you see there's Olympic athletes, there's race car drivers.
You can do absolutely everything. And now even you're allowed
to you know, before you weren't allowed to fly planes.
There are you know, you're allowed to do that now
like it's amazing. There's nothing that you can't do anymore.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
So what are they working on? What are your researchers
working on right now that they feel hopeful that the
end may be near. That would be stem cells.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I mean that would be the implanting of stem cells
and seeing you know what do you maybe put it in?
What it can or cell shell is right, because it's
you know, survives the immune system and it's you know, impervious,
so you can it can come well, come and go,
sorry about that, but working on how to create that
(15:15):
as a protective implant to put it in the body.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
So the delivery system is the challenge. It's the delivery.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
System, yeah, because now they can know they can sit
and watch and see a cell make it into They
can take a beta cell, make it in or an
islet cell, make it into an insulin producing cell. They
can watch it turn green when that happens, they put
an algae on it. They know exactly when it becomes
an insulin producing cell. They can actually really manipulate the cells.
(15:43):
It's just a matter of churning off the autoimmune system
or you know, fooling it.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Right, right, And then that's the issue. I mean, I
read a lot about stem cells. I remember Regenerative Therapy
client that is on the show quite often, and I'm
fascinated by the potential for that. Sure, but it's like
you think about stem cells can be anything. How do
you make sure that they are going to be what
you want them to be? And to your point, an
insulin producing stem cell or you know, to basically juice
(16:12):
the pancreas. That's to make it work the way it's
supposed to. It's all. It's just, isn't it a great
time to be alive?
Speaker 2 (16:18):
And thank goodness there are people that are so brilliant
that understand that. Yeah, you know when I talk to
our researchers and they talk about things and they're so
excited and they get it and it's just not how
my brain works. But so happy that there are people
that think that way.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Well, this is why we have Dana on the show
today because this is Colorado Gives Day, and as we
just talked a little while ago to step Denver, it's
the perfect day to make a donation that could feasibly
I mean we're actually talking about for real, you could
make a donation that can help end type one diabetes,
and then I wouldn't get to see data every year,
but we'd find something to talk about. We'd find some
(16:52):
reason to have you on for another reason. I've got
a few text messages. I want to share this and said,
please tell her that I used to work for her
dad at Davis Oil when he started the foundation. I'm
so proud of how far they've come I think so
it's so incredible. People have been watching you this when
my son participated in the Daisy program until he was
eighteen or nineteen. What's the Daisy program?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
So the Daisy program is one of the programs where
he must have a sibling that has Type one. Oh,
also Celiac and also Chester Celiac.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
And is there a connection there? There is no way.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
There's a big connection with I think it's like half
the Type ones have.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Celiac as well. I have four autoimmune diseases. We'll see
my family. We don't get cancer, we get autoimmune disease.
We have a healthy stream of Celiac's on one side,
and then we've got you know, like soriatic arthritis. I mean,
we got a whole gamut of of autoimmune diseases, just
a carnucopia of waiting for mine to kick in. Like
every time something hurts, I'm like, well here it goes,
you know here what I'm ready down to path just
(17:53):
it's my time. But that's interesting to me. So they do.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
So that program then follows people for a certain amount
of time to see there's two different programs.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
One's Teddy, one's Daisy, and I honestly don't remember which
is the difference. I'm sorry I should know that.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
But one follows type ones that are already diagnosed if
they get a second autoimmune, and.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
One is following.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Siblings or maybe children of people that have type.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
One and following it through. I think that is an
amazing part of this program, because when you have a
kid that has a chronic illness or a disease or
a condition, the other kids kind of get left behind
a little bit out of necessity. It's not bad parenting,
it is out of necessity. You have to direct more
energy to that child who needs that. But what a
wonderful thing for you guys to say, we're going to
(18:42):
bring you all in and we're going to make you
all feel special and.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Loved well, and unfortunately we have a lot of siblings
that are both Type one.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Yeah, we've been finding that more and more recently. Are
we seeing a higher percentage? Are the percentages going up
to the general population or are we just getting better
at catching it. I think it's little bit of both.
I think the percentages aren't a huge jump.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
I mean, during COVID everybody's like, oh my god, there's
you know, there's been a jump, and there wasn't. It
was unfortunately that people were getting to the point they
were in DKA and needed to be in the hospital. Right,
So it's being able to catch it early enough.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
So I think it's it's a little bit of both,
you know.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
It's I don't think it's a huge jump per se, right,
you know, it just depends on the population exactly.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Dana Davis with the Children's Diabetes Foundation, I have put
a link on the blog today where you can go
directly to their Colorado Gives page and make a donation
and maybe be a part of curing type one diabetes.
Those are big words. They are big words, and we'll
hopefully we'll get to clink to the curing of diabetes
very very fantastic and maybe some other autoimmune disease at
(19:44):
the same time. Absolutely, because you got to knock them
out before I get mine. So there you go.
The Mandy Connell Podcast News
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