For International Day of Charity (5th September) Specsavers Ópticas is explaining the importance of finding a cure for Type 1 Diabetes.
In Spain, there are over 1,000 people diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes every year, and most of those are under 15 years old. This is a growing problem, yet its cause is not known and there is no cure. The charity DiabetesCERO wants to change that by funding research projects in Spain to find the cure to Type 1 Diabetes.
DiabetesCERO is the leading Spanish foundation investing in research into a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. Thanks to the support of thousands of people and companies around the world, they support and finance biomedical research projects to find a cure for this serious, chronic, autoimmune disease, diagnosed mainly in children.
They work tirelessly to ensure that the scientific community has the resources it needs to advance research. The team are passionate about funding biomedical research with a single purpose: to change the future for millions of families. They’re supporting scientific talent through grants for young researchers and raising awareness of the importance of investing in quality research to advance as a society.
Francisco Jurado, store director of Specsavers Ópticas in Torrevieja, La Zenia and Guardamar, explains, ‘Diabetes is a very big problem on a global level and one that is growing quickly, with an estimated 537 million people in the world suffering from the disease. This disease is associated with a range of potentially serious health complications, if not correctly controlled.’
‘One of these complications, which we’re seeing more and more of during eye tests, is diabetic retinopathy. If this is undiagnosed and untreated, this can develop into Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) and cause permanent vision impairment and blindness. The prevalence of DME among people living with Type 1 diabetes in Europe is around 8.8% and so we want to support DiabetesCERO to help them find a cure for this disease by pledging to raise €5,000 for the charity in 2024.’
Michael Olsson, optical assistant at Specsavers Ópticas in Guardamar, adds ‘Diabetes is not just a glucose or insulin issue, it can cause so many more problems and sadly we’ve seen that in our family. The more funding that can be put into research into finding a cure and improving treatment, the better. Spreading the word of the impact of diabetes on your health is also so important, as early diagnosis and treatment is crucial to reducing the long-term impact of the condition.
Raising funds for diabetes research is very important, and something which is very personal to me, as a member of my family suffers from it, and I’ve seen the effects that diabetes can have on a loved one. The great work the charity is doing deserves to be better known, and I want to raise awareness not simply of diabetes, but what can happen to sufferers further down the line if the condition is not properly controlled.’
Raising funds for DiabetesCERO
Specsavers Ópticas have already ran a half marathon and climbed a mountain for DiabetesCERO, and there are more challenges planned for the rest of the year.
Michael Olsson is taking on the challenge to bungee jump between two bridges in Mascarat to raise funds for the charity in September. His aim is to raise €1,000 on behalf of the Specsavers Ópticas stores in Guardamar, Torrevieja and La Zenia. To support him, please make a donation in a Specsavers Ópticas store or via their GoFundMe page “Puenting para recaudar fondos para DiabetesCERO”. Every donation made will help fund vital research into Type 1 Diabetes.
For more information about DiabetesCERO visit www.diabetescero.org. To find your nearest Specsavers Ópticas store and make a donation visit www.specsavers.es.
