Diabetes Health Talk

The gift, the second-largest donation in the university’s history, could be a shot in the arm toward finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

Courtesy of Josephine Marcotty. Best Buy founder Richard Schulze and his family foundation will give $40 million to University of Minnesota researchers who are intent on finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes, the university announced Thursday.

The money, the second largest gift in university history, will be paid over five years and provide about half the $20 million the university will spend annually on diabetes research. Officials said they hope it will provide the financial boost needed to defeat the disease.

“We must not settle for anything less than a cure,” said Dr. Bernhard Hering, who will head the project. “We only need to declare it possible.”

Schulze and his daughter, Debra Schulze, 40, who has had Type 1 diabetes for 28 years, said they chose the university’s program over a number of other research organizations, both public and private, after studying programs around the world. They chose the university because it seemed to be closest to finding a cure and was less focused on finding new treatments for symptoms, she said.

As many as 3 million people in the United States live with Type 1 diabetes, in which the immune system attacks islet cells in the pancreas, destroying the body’s ability to produce insulin and regulate blood sugar.

For more than 30 years, Ben Vereen, a Tony award-winning, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated actor, dancer and singer, has inspired audiences with his versatility and creativity as a performer. Now, he is hoping to inspire others by sharing his approach for dealing with one of the greatest challenges in his life — living with type 2 diabetes.

Vereen, who recently announced his diagnosis with type 2 diabetes, is partnering with sanofi-aventis, a world leader in diabetes care, to launch Take the Stage for Diabetes Awareness, a national awareness campaign designed to educate people living with the condition.

Vereen is among the nearly 24 million Americans living with diabetes. When he was first diagnosed in 2007, he was scared and confused. After he accepted his initial diagnosis, he committed to doing everything he could to manage his diabetes. The first step was working closely with his doctor to find the treatment plan that was right for him. Vereen and his doctor decided together that along with watching the types of foods he eats and exercising regularly, he should start using insulin to help manage his blood sugar.

“My doctor talked to me about the importance of managing my blood sugar levels to help reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications,” Vereen says. “I had many doubts and fears about taking insulin, but since I never wanted diabetes to define who I am or stop me from doing the things I love, I kept an open mind about all potential treatment options.”

His treatment plan has gotten his blood sugar where it needs to be and now his diabetes is under control. Vereen hopes that sharing his story will raise awareness and inspire others living with diabetes to work closely with their doctors and take control, manage their blood sugar levels properly and “act” on their diabetes.

“I am lucky — I have a great doctor who helped me reach my personal treatment goals,” Vereen says. “But it is important for people to know that I take action every day to maintain my blood sugar control. Checking my blood sugar levels often, continuing to make healthy food choices, exercising regularly, monitoring my activity levels, and taking my diabetes medication as prescribed has become part of my daily routine.”

To read Vereen’s personal story about living with diabetes, or for more information about diabetes, treatment and care, visit www.BensDiabetesStory.com.