About us

Type One Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, envisions a world free from the burden of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Central to our mission is the Type One Cares Campaign, which raises awareness and funds to support and empower those affected by T1D. We offer financial aid, support, education, and empowerment, guiding individuals to lead powerful lives beyond the diagnosis. We actively champion the life-changing research of the Faustman Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, advancing toward a cure for T1D.

Our vision is to create a world where type 1 diabetes no longer exists. We’re dedicated to funding research aimed at curing T1D and ensuring that those impacted by the condition have the necessary support to lead fulfilling lives. By raising awareness, providing assistance, and fostering global solidarity, we strive to combat the stigma surrounding diabetes and unite the T1D community worldwide.

Executive board

Paul Foti
Co-founder, Type One, Inc.

Tyson Sunnerberg
Co-founder, Type One, Inc.

Richard Bowen
Founder and President, Honey Dew Associates

Scott Sanborn
EVP, Commercial Lending, HarborOne Bank

Steven Dubin
Founder and President, PR Works

Thomas P. Holland
Partner, Wealth Advisor, Global Vision Advisors, LLC

Type One Cares Campaign

The Type One Cares Campaign is an initiative dedicated to supporting families affected by type 1 diabetes (T1D). It aims to alleviate the financial burden often associated with managing T1D by providing scholarships and financial assistance. Through generous donations, the campaign offers support for expenses such as insulin supplies, summer camp tuition, and college scholarships for individuals living with T1D or those with a sibling affected by it. Additionally, the campaign seeks to raise awareness about T1D and funds for research toward finding a cure.

Type One empowering those with T1D – with your support

Living with type 1 diabetes presents lifelong challenges due to the pancreas ceasing insulin production. Balancing insulin doses with daily activities is crucial but doesn’t prevent serious complications like kidney failure or blindness. Your support helps Type One improve the quality of life for those with T1D through essential resources and assistance.

Assistance for diabetes management costs

Managing diabetes is costly, with new patients spending $1,400 on education and appointments. Pump Therapy offers better control but can cost up to $1,200 monthly. Children’s insulin costs around $300 per month, and testing six to eight times a day adds up to $300 monthly. We provide financial assistance for qualifying individuals, as going without insulin is not an option.

T1D camp scholarships

Partnering with the Barton Center for Diabetes Education, we offer scholarships for local children with type 1 diabetes to attend a week of residential camp in the summer.

Educational scholarships

We award ten $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors in the South Shore community, supporting their advanced studies at any college, university, or technical institution.

Advancing toward a cure

We champion the groundbreaking research of the Faustman Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital as they pave the path toward a cure for type 1 diabetes, changing lives in the process.

Type One Fitness – Improving diabetes management

Research indicates that structured exercise and physical activity correlate with reduced blood glucose spikes in individuals with diabetes. One study found that higher daily step counts in individuals with type 1 diabetes resulted in milder blood glucose spikes after meals. Similarly, another study observed that implementing an afternoon exercise routine improved blood glucose control and reduced abdominal fat in men with type 2 diabetes. Moreover, physical activity offers broader health benefits beyond blood glucose control. Studies suggest that activity levels are associated with improved cardiovascular health in type 2 diabetes, reduced risk of dementia, and decreased healthcare costs later in life.

We have completed community surveys, held focus groups and interviewed individuals with type 1 diabetes to understand how we can better support and serve them. We found many individuals voiced a need for a support group specific to type 1 diabetes within our community. As a result, the Type One team is making that happen. Our goal is to connect those living with type 1 diabetes with others on the same journey with our Type One workshops. Whether someone needs support or has it all figured out, this group is for them!

Type One Cares scholarship fund

Type One is currently accepting scholarship applications, and will award $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors who will be entering an accredited college/university for a two- or four-year course of study and have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. The applicant must reside in the greater South Shore region of Massachusetts (which includes the communities of Abington, Braintree, Cohasset, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Hingham, Holbrook, Hull, Kingston, Marshfield, Norwell, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rockland, Scituate, Weymouth, Whitman). The applicant must be living with type 1 diabetes or with a sibling diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Interested applicants should complete the application, submit a copy of their high school transcript and a letter of reference. Participants should send their completed application via mail or email to info@typeonefitness.org, and mail their transcript and letter of reference to Type One, PO Box 404 Hingham, MA 02043. Applications must be received by mail or email on or before April 15, 2024. Scholarship awardees will be chosen by a selection committee composed of the Type One leadership team, and selected on the basis of quality of completed application and addressing the topic response. The committee’s decision is final. Winners will be notified via email on or before April 30, 2024.

Please note that in order to claim scholarship funds, you must be able to provide proof of attendance to your program. Scholarship funds must be applied toward the costs of tuition, research, books, exam fees, study resources or other expenses appropriate to the pursuit of one’s degree. Each scholarship awardee must be prepared to verify use of scholarship funds within one year. Under no circumstances should monies awarded to the winners be used toward non-educational expenses.

Please complete the form below. Please respond to each question, as accurately as possible, and provide as much information as possible to receive consideration for the scholarship. All applications will be carefully reviewed and considered. Applicants must be 17 years of age and a U.S. resident.

Type One Cares Scholarship Application

Type One Cares send a kid to T1D camp

Type One Cares – a campaign dedicated to building a community to assist those affected by type 1 diabetes (T1D) with support, education and endowment, so they can live a powerful life beyond the diagnosis. Type One has partnered with the Barton Center for Diabetes Education, one of the largest, independent camping and educational programs in the country dedicated to children who live with diabetes and the people who care for them. Type One will be providing scholarships for local children living with T1D to attend a week of residential camp this summer.

Sports, games, arts and crafts, and the powerful experience of connecting with other kids just like themselves – type 1 diabetes camp can be a life-changing experience for kids with type 1 diabetes. While type 1 is what brings these campers together, diabetes camp is like any other camp — a place where kids play, have fun, try new things, and make memories and friends that can last a lifetime.

The focus of the program is fun and support – the goal is to educate children and their families on how to manage the daily rigors of diabetes, so they can live fuller and healthier lives.

The Barton Center for Diabetes Education, Inc. is one of the largest, independent camping and educational programs in the country dedicated to children who live with diabetes and the people who care for them. The Camp maintains a staff to camper ratio which meets or exceeds typical camp requirements. Barton’s diabetes team consists of experienced endocrinologists, nurse educators, dietitians, mental health professionals, and well-trained counselors – many of whom have diabetes themselves and serve as role models.

The Barton Center’s commitment to excellence is underscored by its consistent high marks from accreditation and licensing organizations and, more importantly, from the children and families served. The Barton Center’s girl’s campus in North Oxford, Massachusetts, is located on the scenic grounds of the historic Clara Barton Birthplace and consists of modern facilities with access to over 200 acres of woodlands and fields. Camp Joslin for boys, a program owned and operated by The Barton Center, is located just three miles away in nearby Charlton on 145 acres of forest and sports fields surrounding a scenic 20 acre pond. The Barton Center complies with regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, is licensed by local boards of health, and is accredited by the American Camp Association.

To learn more click the following link.
www.bartoncenter.org

We support the Faustman Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital

For the last 20 years, the Faustman Lab has been the leader in investigating the potential of the BCG vaccine to prevent and reverse autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes. This research has advanced from early mouse studies, moving to mechanistic, in vitro trials and now a multi-trial human clinical research program. The Faustman Lab showed that BCG boosts a cytokine called TNF, which is beneficial in autoimmune diseases by directly eliminating the autoreactive T cells that attack the pancreas, as well as by inducing beneficial immune cells called regulatory T cells (Tregs).

The study at MGH looks increasingly like a long-term cure for type 1 diabetes, with a newly released study showing patients have normal blood sugar levels eight years after a clinical trial. In research published in journal npj Vaccines, patients who had been treated with the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine — an inexpensive, generic vaccine used around the world to prevent tuberculosis — had normal blood sugar levels eight years after the trial ended. While it took three years for patients to see results from the vaccine, two doses of the drug spaced four weeks apart were still having a lasting impact eight years later. All of the patients in the studies showed a durable and significant improvement in HbA1c. Learn more njp Vaccines paper.

BCG Therapy For T1D

The bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is a microorganism developed as a vaccine for tuberculosis 100 years ago and used as therapy for bladder cancer 40 years ago. More recently, BCG has shown therapeutic promise for type 1 diabetes (T1D) and several other autoimmune diseases. In T1D, BCG restored blood sugars to near normal, even in patients with advanced disease of >20 years duration. This clinically important effect may be driven by resetting of the immune system and the shifting of glucose metabolism from overactive oxidative phosphorylation, a state of minimal sugar utilization, to aerobic glycolysis, a state of high glucose utilization, for energy production. The mechanistic findings support the Hygiene Hypothesis and reveal the immune and metabolic synergy of mycobacterial reintroduction in modern humans.

For more information on the MGH clinical trials and the research study, please download their BCG Brochure. Visit their website and follow them on Facebook.

On behalf of the 1.25 million people living with type 1 diabetes, their family and friends we thank you for your commitment to our mission and our promise to find a cure!

About T1D

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, called beta cells. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. Its onset has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, and—at present—nothing you can do to get rid of it.

Who T1D affects

Type 1 diabetes strikes both children and adults at any age. It comes on suddenly, causes dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications.

T1D and genetics

It is unclear about whether type 1 diabetes is hereditary or not. While 90 percent of people who develop type 1 diabetes have no relative with the disease, genetic factors can predispose people to developing type 1 diabetes. Certain gene markers are associated with type 1 diabetes risk.

Causes of T1D

The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. Usually, the body’s own immune system — which normally fights harmful bacteria and viruses — mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing (islet, or islets of Langerhans) cells in the pancreas.

Environmental factors

While researchers have yet to determine the exact cause of type 1 diabetes (T1D), environmental factors such as viruses, vitamin D deficiency, air pollutants and COVID-19 have all been linked to its onset.

Covid-19 and T1D

A heightened risk of diabetes has already been seen among adults who recovered from COVID-19, according to some studies. Researchers have reported an increase in the number of children being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes since the pandemic started. Children who recover from COVID-19 appear to have a significantly higher risk of developing type 1 or type 2 diabetes, according to a new CDC study. COVID-19 may damage the organ systems that involve diabetes risk, the researchers said. The virus might also directly attack pancreatic cells, and cause stress and high blood sugar during infection, and alter glucose metabolism. Pandemic-related weight gain and sedentary behavior could also play a role in escalating prediabetes to diabetes.

How T1D is managed

Living with T1D is a constant challenge. People with the disease must carefully balance insulin doses (either by injections multiple times a day or continuous infusion through a pump) with eating and other activities throughout the day and night. They must also measure their blood-glucose level by pricking their fingers for blood six or more times a day. Despite this constant attention, people with T1D still run the risk of dangerous high or low blood-glucose levels, both of which can be life threatening. People with T1D overcome these challenges on a daily basis.

Hemoglobin A1C (HBA1C) test for diabetes

The hemoglobin A1c test tells you your average level of blood sugar over the past 2 to 3 months. It’s also called HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin test, and glycohemoglobin. People who have type 1 diabetes (T1D) need this test regularly to see if their levels are staying within range. It can tell if you need to adjust your diabetes medicines.

The A1c test is also used to diagnose diabetes.

Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells. It gives blood its red color, and its job is to carry oxygen throughout your body. For people without diabetes, the normal range for the hemoglobin A1c level is between 4% and 5.6%. Hemoglobin A1c levels between 5.7% and 6.4% mean you have a higher chance of getting diabetes. Levels of 6.5% or higher mean you have diabetes.

Insulin is not a cure

While insulin injections or infusion allow a person with T1D to stay alive, they do not cure the disease, nor do they necessarily prevent the possibility of the disease’s serious effects, which may include: kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, heart attack, stroke, and pregnancy complications.

T1D is a disability

The short answer is “Yes.” Under most laws, diabetes is a protected as a disability. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are protected as disabilities.

T1D and military service

When a US Army soldier is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, it is widely assumed that they will be found unfit for duty and their military career is over.

The outlook for treatments and a cure

Although T1D is a serious and difficult disease, treatment options are improving all the time, and people with T1D can lead full and active lives. The Faustman Lab is driving research to progressively remove the impact of the disease from people’s lives until we ultimately achieve a world without T1D.

Statistics

• 1.25M Americans are living with T1D including about 200,000 youth (less than 20 years old) and over a million adults (20 years old and older).
• 40,000 people are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
• 5 million people in the U.S. are expected to have T1D by 2050, including nearly 600,000 youth.
• About 1 in 500 people in the U.S. are living with the disease.
• Between 2001 and 2009 there was a 21% increase in the prevalence of T1D in people under age 20.
• Type 1 diabetes accounts for $14B in healthcare costs per year in the U.S and is constantly rising.
• Less than one-third of people with T1D in the U.S. are achieving target blood glucose control levels.
• T1D is associated with an estimated loss of life-expectancy of up to 13 years.

Warning signs of T1D may occur suddenly and can include :

• Extreme thirst
• Frequent urination
• Drowsiness or lethargy
• Increased appetite
• Sudden weight loss
• Sudden vision changes
• Sugar in the urine
• Fruity odor on the breath
• Heavy or labored breathing
• Stupor or unconsciousness

World Diabetes Day (WDD) was created in 1991 by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2006 with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225. It is marked every year on November 14, the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922.

WDD is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries. The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public and political spotlight.

The campaign is the global driver to promote the importance of taking coordinated and concerted actions to confront diabetes as a critical global health issue

The campaign is represented by a blue circle logo that was adopted in 2007 after the passage of the UN Resolution on diabetes. The blue circle is the global symbol for diabetes awareness. It signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes epidemic.

Type One Fitness delivers comprehensive fitness programs designed to suit every member’s individual needs. From personalized training sessions to specialized classes like yoga, pilates, and boxing, we ensure a well-rounded approach to health and wellness. Our expert trainers and state-of-the-art equipment help you achieve your fitness goals, whether you’re managing diabetes or enhancing your overall wellness. Join us for a supportive and inclusive fitness experience that drives real results.