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May 11, 2017 · The Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) study is an ongoing follow-up to the landmark Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) that has shown that intensive blood glucose control can reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications of type 1 diabetes.
- Overview
- JDRF Colleagues Remember
- The Diabetes Community Pays Tribute
Goodbye, Mary Tyler Moore.
Our Diabetes Community is mourning the loss of a legendary type 1 champion who changed the world of advocacy, awareness, and research-funding for T1D.
Mary Tyler Moore died on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at age 80 of pneumonia, with her family by her side, according to media reports.
She made an impact worldwide through her TV acting career, most famously on the Dick Van Dyke Show and then her namesake Mary Tyler Moore in the 1970s. For those of us in the D-Community, her tireless advocacy work changed the landscape on what the public knew about diabetes, and the money raised for research for better treatments and a cure.
Diagnosed at age 33 back in 1970, Mary entered the D-Community the same year her namesake show was launched, as well as the same year the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF) was founded. Aside from the glass ceilings she shattered for women in those days, she broke through many diabetes stereotypes — from being diagnosed as an adult with what was then commonly known as “juvenile diabetes,” to not presenting the face of a “textbook diabetic” struggling with her disease. Rather, she showed the world that PWDs (people with diabetes) could succeed and live a full life, without diabetes stopping them from achieving their dreams.
Of course, many of us knew her as the face of diabetes growing up — she was certainly the only celebrity I was aware of living with and talking openly about type 1. It was a time before celebrities did that as commonly as they do know, and Mary certainly set the stage for all who’d follow.
In the days following Mary’s death, many have been sharing thoughts, memories, and condolences.
We spoke with D-Mom Lee Ducat, who co-founded what was then known as the JDF back in 1970 and worked closely with Mary Tyler Moore through the years. In fact, it was Ducat who first recruited Mary to get involved in the JDF. She remembers the she couldn’t snag a meeting with Mary after cold-calling the actresses’ agent. But finally after pressing, Ducat was able to get an hour with Mary at a fancy New York restaurant one day for lunch.
“She was exactly as she was on television — so smart, nice, and beautiful in person… and so very talented, just lighting up the room,” Ducat says.
The young actress wasn’t eager to sign on with the JDF at first, Ducat recalls. Celebrities weren’t vocal about their ailments and challenges the way many are these days, and certainly there weren’t many out there in the public eye in the early 80s.
“She had never worked as an advocate for diabetes or another disease before, and was worried it might hurt her image and career,” Ducat said. “But she listened, and by the end of lunch we’d become good friends and she agreed to be an advocate for JDF. We were so very lucky to have her, and I am very grateful for having met her and been able to work with her.”
As history now shows, getting Mary on board made an incredible difference and changed the way the world saw diabetes.
We’ve also seen a smattering of online tributes to Mary Tyler Moore, from the around the blogging community:
•How Mary Tyler Moore Helped Me Live with Type 1 Diabetes (Miriam Tucker at NPR)
•Actress and Diabetes Advocate Mary Tyler Moore Dies at 80 (Moira McCarthy, A Sweet Life)
•In Memoriam (Craig Idlebrook, Insulin Nation)
•Mary Tyler Moore Leaves Us (Riva Greenberg, Diabetes Stories)
•Saying Goodbye to Actress and Diabetes Advocate Mary Tyler Moore (Sarah Kaye, Diabetes Daily)
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Jan 25, 2017 · By A. Pawlowski. As an actress, Mary Tyler Moore made millions laugh, but one of her most important roles in life was spreading awareness about type 1 diabetes. Moore was diagnosed with the...
Jan 26, 2017 · Moore was a pioneer in not only going public with her diabetes, but taking it on as a cause, says Desmond Schatz, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Florida. "She used her...
Jan 26, 2017 · Moore was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 33. When people have type 1 diabetes, it means their pancreas has stopped producing insulin. Insulin is key—it's the hormone that helps...
- Haley Goldberg
Feb 1, 2017 · Moore, who was otherwise healthy when diagnosed with diabetes, said in 2006 that she was “incredulous” to learn that her blood sugar was nearly seven times the normal level. Not satisfied to...
May 25, 2023 · Read full bio. Actor Mary Tyler Moore was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and became an advocate for patients. Her efforts with JDRF helped fund research and treatments.
