A step in the right direction

By PATRICK CAPE
A WINDSWEPT Lake Burley Griffin played host to the annual Walk to Cure Diabetes day, an event held by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in an effort to help find a cure for the disease.

Onlookers witnessed a colourful bunch of walkers make their way around the 5.5km loop, with
families affected by the disease making up a majority of the participants. A steady stream of joggers, roller bladders and cyclists decided that walking on such a windy day was not for them, while the family pets, much like their owners, sported the purple fashion trend, the colour of the foundation.

The event coordinator, Jessica Fredin, said that although numbers were down from previous years due to the weather, the event still had roughly 2,000 registered members who had donated generously to the cause.

“A lot of work was done in the lead up to today and the aim is to raise enough money to hopefully continue the research that goes into finding a cure,” Fredlin said. “Today is all about rewarding those local organisations, businesses and individuals that have put so much time into fundraising.”

The group set off on the walk at 10am crossing the Kings Avenue Bridge to the far side of the lake where they passed backdrops that included the High Court, Questacon and the National Library. Coming over the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge on return the group widened considerably creating a long streak of purple that spanned the bridge, turning the heads of passersby.

Red-faced and out of breath the group gradually made their way past the finish line and began to plough through the smoky haze of the sausage sizzles. After catching their breath they were treated to a live band, jumping castles, petting zoos, tug-of-war and a best dressed competition.

Emma Savage, the mother of a diabetic child, is an active supporter of the foundation and sees the event as an important one for the local diabetic community.

“It gives us a chance to come together and share our experiences with one other,” Savage said.

Emma’s daughter suffers from an extreme case of Type-1 Diabetes that involves constant monitoring throughout the day.

“At school, at home, at sport she can have swings in her levels. Sometimes the insulin works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

Ever since their daughter was diagnosed, the Savages have supported the annual event.

“There is absolutely no other financial support from the local government, which makes today very important,” she said.

For Emma and her daughter a cure might not be too far away with the St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research recently making a key breakthrough in identifying the gene that triggers the onset of Type-1 Diabetes.

Through the use of a new technique that uses a non-obese diabetic mouse breeed, Australian researchers were able to identify the gene that changes during the early stages of the disease, a breakthrough that could ultimately lead to a cure.

The senior author of the study, Thomas Brodnicki, told November’s Medical Daily journal that the work that led to the breakthrough had “been relatively neglected in recent genetic studies” and, as a result, “should be investigated further for their ability to produce DNA changes in genes that can affect one’s risk for developing common polygenic diseases, such as Type-1 Diabetes.”

For the St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, which only receives 60% of its funding from the federal government, advancements in research like this emphasises the importance of the money raised by community fundraising.

Today’s event is not exclusive to Canberra, or even Australia, as it is held on a global scale, signifying the prevalence of the disease. Over the last 40 years the JDRF has invested over $1.3 billion into research worldwide and in Australia is funding over 40 research projects that total $60million.

Although numbers were down on previous year’s the event continues to be imperative for the diabetic community with every cent raised helping to fund ongoing research. For Emma Savage, the thought of a long awaited cure for her daughter was just another reason to smile on a fun filled day.