Nancy Cook has been working as our Chapter’s administrative assistant for more than 15 years. Her warm and welcoming smile is contagious to all. Nancy’s first introduction to JDRF was in 1998 when she started volunteering. She had been an RN/Charge Nurse for 20 years in Reno, Nevada, and had recently retired. She wanted a way to give back. Nancy has accomplished a lot in her life, but perhaps one of her greatest feats has been living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) for 60 years, celebrated on April 1, 2016.

Is it a celebration? Nancy thinks it is. When she was diagnosed with T1D in 1956 at the age of 4, her parents were told that she would live to be about 25. Growing up in the small town of Sacred Heart, Minnesota, her family did not have a network of support for this disease. Together with Nancy’s endocrinologist, who also happened to be her uncle, they figured it out on their own. Days were filled with boiling needles and syringes, and a lot of guesswork. There were no glucose meters for home use. Then, in 1971, her younger brother Jerry was also diagnosed with T1D. Her parents were now faced with two children living with this disease, but her brother was grateful to have Nancy as a role model.

Nancy’s parents were also told that a cure would be found by the time she went to college. “On my first day at school, I called my endocrinologist and said, ‘I am here, where is it (the cure)?’ I am still waiting for me and my brother and all the others who live with this disease. And I will continue to work here until that cure is found. I know that JDRF is the organization that will make it happen,” Nancy says.

Nancy has told her story many times to help raise funds and awareness, from her annual Walk team letter, to public speeches. She is very honest about how T1D has touched her life and what she has learned over the years. Read her Fund A Cure speech from the 2007 JDRF Hope Gala and watch her interview from a 2012 promotional video.

Since 1956, Nancy has seen a tremendous amount of life-changing progress in T1D research. “The fact that I now have an insulin pump and a glucose monitor is remarkable to think about,” she says.

“Looking at current advancements, I’m most enthusiastic about glucose responsive insulin. The idea that I could take insulin that knew when to shut off and when to turn on is so liberating. The other therapy that excites me is encapsulation. No carb counting or glucose checks. One implant would take the worry away for up to two years! That’s pretty amazing,” Nancy says.

Nancy has advice for people who are newly diagnosed. “Don’t hide it, don’t be afraid to open up about it, and seek support. Know that there is a whole group of people out there who understand what it’s like to live with this disease. Let us be there for you,” she says.

On April 1, JDRF staff and volunteers, both past and present, came to our office to surprise Nancy with a celebration. Our multi-purpose room was standing room only, and Nancy was overwhelmed by the support and encouragement. “Those of us who have T1D also have a community. If there’s one bright side to this disease, that’s it,” she says. We couldn’t agree more.