HELP A DIABETIC CHILD OPENS RESOURCE AND ADVOCACY CENTER

HELP A DIABETIC CHILD OPENS RESOURCE AND ADVOCACY CENTER OFFERING A VARIETY OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES BY APPOINTMENT

 
Help A Diabetic Child (HADC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting local children and families who are dealing with diabetes, has announced the opening of the inaugural HADC Resource & Advocacy Center. Located at 2800 Davis Blvd., Suite 107, this center offers a variety of essential services by appointment only.

Help A Diabetic Child supports underserved children and young adults in Southwest Florida who have Type 1 diabetes and cannot afford life-saving insulin, diabetes medical supplies and medical services. Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to naturally regulate the body’s blood sugar, leaving diagnosed individuals with a life-long dependency on costly medical insulin.

“The opening of our Resource & Advocacy Center is a tremendous milestone, coming on the heels of our 10-year anniversary and giving us our first operational headquarters,” said Tami Balavage, HADC President and Co-founder. “This new office will enable us to continue to grow and serve more children, young adults and families in our community.”

Among the services offered at the new location are Telemedicine Visits; Emotional Support Services; Nutritional Support Services; Information on Patient Assistance Programs; Information on Pharmacy and Health Insurance Resources; Volunteer Programs for high school and college students; On-site Diabetic Staff; Community Outreach Program, Presentations and Support; and Educational Resources and Materials.

To kickoff its outreach series and support group programs, Help A Diabetic Child will host an Open House on Monday, August 7 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event is open to all ages and will feature games, refreshments, giveaways, healthy snacks, support and education. It also will offer an opportunity for the public to meet the organization’s staff.

As the new center develops into a full-functioning community resource, HADC is setting up a campaign to request donations specifically for office supply needs, including funds for computers, furniture and signage. For additional information or to support HADC’s mission of providing life-saving supplies and services, visit www.helpadiabeticchild.org.

Help A Diabetic Child was founded in Naples in 2010 by Balavage after her 16-year-old son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It quickly became evident that there was a significant number of children who were unable to get adequate medical supplies for blood glucose testing and insulin injections, which must be done multiple times daily.

Statistics show that the number of Americans being diagnosed with diabetes continues to rise at alarming rates. The American Diabetes Association reports that almost 10 percent of the population has diabetes, while another 8 million are undiagnosed. In addition, the ADA reports that 86 million Americans over the age of 20 years have pre-diabetes.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a nearly 30 percent increase in Type 1 diabetes diagnoses in the United States, with youth cases growing most sharply among diverse populations.

Diagnosed cases of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are surging among youth in the United States. From 2001 to 2017, the number of people under age 20 living with Type 1 diabetes rose 45 percent and the number living with Type 2 diabetes grew by 95 percent.