On April 23, 2009, Mimi Coomler was a mother and a nurse. That morning almost eight years ago, she also took on a new role — one that she had never anticipated nor imagined.
“I started my new journey as my son’s pancreas,” said Coomler, when her son, Brody, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes during a visit to his pediatrician. Then age four, Brody was promptly admitted to Tucson Medical Center to bring the disease under control and learn to manage it.
“We started our life of checking blood sugars and taking in sugar to control hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or dosing insulin in attempts to control hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), which can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis. If not controlled, that can lead to unconsciousness, coma and death. It’s a constant challenge and that becomes your new normal,” Coomler said.
With no family history of diabetes, Brody’s diagnosis was unexpected. In hindsight, Coomler said Brody experienced classic symptoms including increased appetite, lack of weight gain (or weight loss), extreme thirst, frequent urination, nausea, vomiting, weakness and fatigue. Coomler suspects the disease, which can have rapid onset or occur over a longer period of time, came on over a period of a few months and was possibly triggered by a virus.
Unlike Type 2 diabetes, Type 1 is not related to lifestyle or eating habits and while scientists suspect both environmental factors and genetic triggers, they are unsure of the exact cause.
Type 1 is an autoimmune disease that occurs when insulin-producing cells (also called beta cells) in the pancreas are attacked and destroyed by the body’s immune system. Since insulin is necessary for regulation of glucose in the body, it must be injected or infused continually with a pump. Constant monitoring of blood sugars are required throughout the day and night and while they provide a lifeline, they are not a cure and don’t necessarily prevent the possibility of serious side effects such as kidney failure, blindness, stroke, heart attack and other complications.
“As a mom, in general, you worry about the safety of your children. You want them to be safe and happy, and diabetes often stands in the way of both. You operate at a level knowing that your child is not always safe,” Coomler said.
To combat her fear, Coomler joined forces with the JDRF, formerly known as Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the leading global organization supporting advocacy and research for Type 1 diabetes. The organization has funded more than $2 billion in research since it was founded in 1970.
“A few years ago, we became just the JDRF to alleviate confusion that you can only be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a child, which is inaccurate. Additionally, there was a misconception that people can outgrow the disease, which is also inaccurate,” said Stacy Gopp, JDRF Southern Arizona branch director.
Currently 1.25 million Americans — including an estimated 35,000 Arizonans — live with the disease; that number is projected to increase to 5 million, including 600,000 youth, nationwide by 2050. Between the years 2001 and 2009, there was a 21 percent increase in prevalence of Type 1 diabetes in those younger than age 20.
On a positive note, research is progressing rapidly.
Last fall, the Food and Drug Administration approved an artificial pancreas, a project spearheaded by the research foundation. The external device marries an insulin pump with a continuous glucose monitor, delivering any necessary insulin to the body without patient intervention.
“It helps automatically adjust the insulin being delivered to the body based on actual blood sugar on an ongoing basis,” Coomler said. “In real life, the blood sugar of a diabetic goes up and down constantly, so this is a great step forward in terms of keeping blood sugar more consistent, which is key to minimizing complications.”
Other promising research includes beta cell encapsulation, which Coomler said will involve the implantation of cells “wrapped in some form of biosynthetic material that will protect them from immune system attack so they can deliver insulin,” as well as technologies such as smart insulin that can turn off and on in response to blood sugar levels. JDRF is also funding 50 human clinical trials of potential therapies.
“Over the past eight years, the amount of progress we have experienced has been extraordinary, which gives us tons of hope that the future will be different for everyone with Type 1 diabetes. There is so much medical research that is helping to lessen the burden of those living with Type 1 diabetes, and to ultimately find a cure,” said Coomler, who is doing her part as chair of the JDRF’s Green Tie Gala on Saturday.
Coomler said that the event is not only the Southwest branch’s signature annual fundraiser and a great party, but an evening filled with hugs and love.
“It is just magnificent. You walk away with the feeling that our entire community comes together to make the lives of people with Type 1 diabetes better. That feeling of hope that initially brought me to JDRF is reignited every year at this event,” Coomler said. “It is so uplifting to hear about the research and so inspiring to hear the stories of people dealing with Type 1 diabetes.”
