Butler senior to tell diabetes story at gala
Every year, donors at a black-tie event in Pittsburgh raise about $1.5 million to aid the fight against Type 1 diabetes.
This year, a senior at Butler High School is playing a key role in that function.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Western Pennsylvania chapter has tapped Caroline Simms, 18, of Butler as its Fund A Cure speaker at the Promise Gala. Simms will tell her own story of dealing with her condition to inspire donations during a portion of the night dedicated entirely to funding for cure research.
“It's honestly so amazing that I can use my story, everything I've been through and learned, to make a difference,” Simms said.
Simms was 10 years old when she got what appeared to be a stomach virus. She went to bed sick.
Her dad came into her bedroom the following morning to check on her. She wouldn't wake up, so he called an ambulance.
“They asked my dad, 'How long has she been diabetic?'” Simms said. “He said, 'She's not diabetic.' They said, 'Yes she is, her blood sugar isn't even reading on the meter.'”
Simms hit an unfortunate high score that day: a blood sugar reading of 1,697. Doctors at Butler Memorial Hospital told her they had only ever seen one higher. Somewhere between 80 and 120 is a normal reading for someone without diabetes.
Her blood sugar put Simms in a diabetic coma, and she was airlifted from the scene.
“If my dad had waited 45 minutes to check on me, I wouldn't be here today,” Simms said.
In the years that followed, she joined research foundation as a volunteer, and was determined to get involved. Her mom, Mary Simms, did the same. She joined the chapter's board of directors in 2013.
“Our family has been instrumental for about $100,000 brought into JDRF,” Mary Simms said. “Caroline has been there right from the beginning.”
Both mother and daughter find themselves heavily motivated by the research the organization funds. Caroline rattled off a list of the latest developments she's excited about, including gene therapy and artificial pancreases.
One development that the foundation helped to fund, according to Mary Simms, is being used by their family. Caroline's glucose monitor sends readouts to her and her parents' phones every five minutes, so they can avoid a surprise like the one they had eight years ago.
The 27th annual Promise Gala begins at 5:30 p.m. on April 27 at the Wyndham Grand in downtown Pittsburgh. About 700 to 800 people are expected to attend, according to an event coordinator.
