New York, September 15, 2020— JDRF, the leading global funder of type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, is excited to announce new bilingual resources and multicultural initiatives launching during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Throughout the month, JDRF will be spotlighting newly released Spanish-language resources available from JDRF and the JDRF-Beyond Type 1 Alliance.

The upcoming  Virtual TypeOneNation Summit on Saturday, Sept 26, will include a session hosted in Spanish entitled “Knowing When to Ask for Help: Mental Health & Parenting T1D.” The panel features Beyond Type 1 Program Manager Mila Ferrer, Diabetes Educator Daniela Rojas, and T1D parent Margarita Moncada. Registration for the Virtual TypeOneNation Summit, an interactive day of learning for people of all ages and stages of life with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and their loved ones, is free and available to the public.

“We are excited to expand our reach to include the Spanish-language resources and events,” explains Sarah Noel, JDRF Vice President, Community Engagement & Strategic Alliances. “As an organization, it is our goal to begin meeting members of our broad T1D community where they are, and this is the first of many steps to come led by initiatives from our Diversity and Inclusion Task Force.”

T1D is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, called beta cells. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. Its onset has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, and—at present—nothing you can do to get rid of it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports estimate a 4.2 percent annual increase of newly diagnosed cases of type 1 diabetes, most sharply in Hispanic youth ages 0-19.[1] Recognizing the increased need to connect with the Spanish-speaking community, JDRF translated its popular T1D resources to provide information and support needed to understand what T1D is, how to support an individual living with T1D, and how to manage the disease.

About JDRF

JDRF’s mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.2 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our six international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter: @JDRF