“twenty-one years later we’ve done this procedure about 710 times in type 1 diabetes patients and most are able to come off insulin for a period of time, with three-quarters of patients able to retain the protection afforded by these implanted cells,” says dr. shapiro. “we continue to refine the protocol to extend the anti-rejection time and make the treatment more sustaining.”
vanita pais: changing young lives through better food literacy
for vanita pais, the leonard award adds another layer of goodness to food skills programs and workshops that deliver great benefits to children with type 1 diabetes.
pais, a toronto-based diabetes educator and registered dietitian, created an eight-week program that helps young people truly understand food – where it comes from, how the food system works, food marketing, how to make balanced meals and healthy snacks, and why it’s important to reduce food waste.
“in general, food literacy skills are lower in children,” she says. “that’s not good and, when you have diabetes, that lack of knowledge can have serious consequences on your health and your ability to manage your diabetes.”
set to launch this year as a pilot project at sick kids hospital in toronto, pais’s food skills program is geared towards kids with type 1 diabetes. the program was inspired by a summer lunch program for children in a toronto community whose families were struggling with food insecurity.