Hundreds Walk At Scissortail Park To Fund Diabetes Research

Hundreds gathered at Scissortail Park on Saturday morning to raise funds for diabetes research during the annual walk organized by Breakthrough T1D. The nonprofit, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, is committed to funding advancements for Type 1 diabetes treatments and ultimately a cure.

“The people that are walking today are raising funds that are critical for Type 1 diabetes research,” said Trish Winters, marketing director of Breakthrough T1D’s Oklahoma chapter.

Breakthrough T1D has been involved in funding every major diabetes research advancement over the past 50 years.

“It really has changed lives, and the research that we have on the horizon is incredible,” Winters said.

It’s this research that gives children like 11-year-old Haddie Ratzlaff hope for the future. Ratzlaff was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes four years ago.

“It was really scary,” she said. “We didn’t know what was happening in my body because I was getting, like, so sick.”

The diagnosis changed Ratzlaff’s life forever, as it does for every person with Type 1 diabetes.

“I have to watch what I eat every single day,” she said. “I can barely have candy unless I’m low.”

For Winters, whose son was diagnosed at age two, advancements in diabetes technology over the years have been life-changing.

“When my oldest son was diagnosed 13 years ago at two years old, we actually had to do finger pricks around the clock,” Winters said.

Thanks to smart devices like the Dexcom monitor, she said she’s seen a significant positive impact.

“Having this device has been a miracle for our family and thousands of others across Oklahoma,” she said.

The next goal for Breakthrough T1D is to keep moving forward on the path toward a cure.