On Saturday 2nd September, Envío’s Managing Director, Sean Stokes, completed a 40 mile bicycle ride for JDRF (the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).
The Cycle for a Cure Ride, which was kindly sponsored by Ford Motor Company, set off from their Dunton Research & Technical facility at Dunton, Laindon, Essex – a stone’s throw from Envío’s office.
Sean has been a Type 1 Diabetic since the age of nine, quite some time ago now – so it is a cause close to his heart or should we say pancreas!
Type 1 diabetes is not caused by kids eating too many sweets, such is the misconception, but instead is a chronic, life-long, autoimmune condition where the body’s own defences attack and destroy insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone essential to move carbohydrates / glucose obtained from food into cells throughout the body.
Once insulin is working, glucose can leave your bloodstream and move into the cells where it can be used as fuel to produce energy. Without it, the cells are unable to function and the glucose remains in your blood. Type 1 diabetics need to take insulin either via injections or with a pump in order to maintain a balanced level of glucose in the body.
Too much insulin or too little can be very dangerous for them indeed. JDRF is an international charity which supports Type 1 diabetics and their families whilst raising money for research into finding a cure.
According to research at Stanford University, typically a Type 1 diabetic has to make an extra 180 decisions per day about the management of their condition (when to inject, how much to inject, how many carbohydrates to eat etc) compared to a non-diabetic. Imagine that at the age of 9, or at the age of 5 or 15 or 50 or 70.
Should you wish to support the cause or would like further information, please click on the links below for JDRF and a big well done to all those who completed the 22 mile, 40 mile and 80 mile courses.
At the time of writing, the event, one of many organised by JDRF, raised £15,969.
Special thanks to Ford Motor Company for supporting JDRF UK 👍🏼
