By Stephanie Powers, staff writer
On December 21 the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation received a $25,000 check from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. The proceeds were from the first annual Drive For Diabetes golf tournament which was held at the Tribe's world-class Lake of Isles golf resort in October.
"This is going to change our kids lives; this is really, really helpful," said Mary Kessler, executive director of the JDRF's Greater New Haven chapter. "We're very proud to be associated with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation."
Tribal Council Treasurer Rodney Butler, who co-chaired the event with Tribal Councilor Richard E. Sebastian, agreed that "this partnership couldn't be any better."
Kessler said the donation will help the entire community with diabetes.
"It's a family disease," Kessler said. She emphasized the fact that even though it is the child who has diabetes, it affects the entire family.
"We've been glad to help out," said Sebastian. "In the future we hope to bring something more to the research…if we can change the lives of somebody, we're making a difference."
Diabetes is the name given to disorders in which the body has trouble regulating its blood sugar levels. There are two major types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a disorder of the body's immune system - that is, its system for protecting itself from viruses, bacteria or any "foreign" substances.
Diabetes is prevalent among the Native American population, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation has been taking steps to educate their Tribe about the disease. Knowledge is power and the tournament's goal was to educate and spread awareness about diabetes.
Steve Tantillo, group sales manager of Lake of Isles says it did just that. "This golf tournament really brought a lot of attention to diabetes."
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys certain cells in the pancreas. Currently, the JDRF is working to build an artificial pancreas which will benefit people with type 1 diabetes. An artificial pancreas would regulate glucose levels in the body of someone with diabetes by continuously measuring the level of glucose and dispensing doses of insulin based on those measurements. It would enable the person to maintain "normal" glucose levels by providing the right amount of insulin at the right time, just as a pancreas does in people without the disease.
Kessler is hopeful that a cure will happen in our lifetime, and it's the people who support and fight for the cause that are the true heroes.
"We can't thank you enough," said Kessler. "This is going to go a long way and make a major difference."
2008
Framed against the sky, the lone tree on a knoll represents
Mashantucket, the "much-wooded land" where the Pequots hunted and
kept alive their identity as an independent people. Displayed on the
knoll is the sign of Robin Cassasinnamon, the Pequot’s first leader
following the 1637 massacre at Mystic Fort. The fox stands as a
reminder that the Pequots are known as "the fox people."
Pequot basketweave pattern.
A gift from the Winged Ones, feathers
carry prayers to the Great Spirit.