Just before Easter, 9-year-old Kedron State School student Sophie Burke was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), a lifelong autoimmune condition.
After noticing the symptoms, Sophie’s mum Jackie Burke said: “She began insulin therapy within a few hours of arriving at the hospital.”
“Not only did she have to endure multiple daily injections, but she also now had to begin counting carbs for every single thing she ate or drank to accurately dose her insulin,” she said.
Like Sophie in Hendra, 139,257 Australians are living their everyday lives with Type 1 Diabetes according to the National Diabetes Services Scheme, but the cure is yet to be found.
Determined to continue her normal life, Sophie and her family have become advocates for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Australia, a leading non-government funder of T1D research in the country, now calling for further funding for its research program.
“We will continue sharing our story to raise awareness about Type 1 Diabetes. Together, we aim to raise funds for vital research, hoping to one day find a cure,” Ms Burke said.
In November, Sophie visited the Parliament House in Canberra with over 100 child and adult patients to advocate for funding supporting JDRF’s research.
“(JDRF’s research) represents hope, that in our lifetime T1D will be prevented in future generations, and ultimately cured so we can live in a world without T1D – it can only be resolved by research,” Ms Burke said.
