98% of Donors Elevate Cure Research Above All Else

A “Practical Cure’ is a term that often appears in JDCA reports. It was developed by people living with T1D today and illustrates what the community believes a cure should look like. Other organizations sometimes refer to a Practical Cure as a ‘Functional Cure.’

A Practical Cure is any solution that offers a near-normal quality of life for a patient with long-term T1D. This constitutes a life free from the burden of constant monitoring, worrying, and measured diet, without requiring immunosuppressants, lengthy hospital stays, or risking adverse side effects. This differs from a ‘perfect’ cure, a one-and-done solution to reverse T1D completely, which has been researched thus far to no avail and could be generations away.

• • 98% of survey takers said a Practical Cure would improve the quality of life for those living with T1D.

• 92% would donate directly to a Practical Cure initiative if the option was made readily available.

The final questions of the survey pertained to two of the largest diabetes nonprofit organizations: the JDRF and the American Diabetes Association (ADA). When donors give to diabetes-focused organizations monetarily or by participating in events, the assumption is that their contributions directly fuel T1D research. In reality, most of a nonprofit’s revenue is used to fund public outreach, fundraising, managerial expenses and, in some cases, type 2 diabetes.

Results also showed that if both organizations increased their funding to T1D research grants 77% would increase their donations.