In 2016, I sought out a new endocrinologist and asked a friend to help me find the best one in town. I was coming up on my 40th anniversary as a type-1 diabetic and felt I was in a bit of a rut, but wanted at least another 40 years with my wife and three young sons.
The search brought me to Dr. Willa Hsueh and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Those of you who know me know of my deep love for my alma mater, the University of Michigan. But if Dr. Hsueh was the best, so be it. I was immediately taken by her passion and energy. When she asked if I’d be interested in joining the hospital’s Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center advisory committee, my maize and blue hackles were raised. The thought of writing a check that said “The Ohio State University” on it was a bit unsettling to say the least. I said that I would think of another solution to the singular check writing that would help much more, college rivalries be damned.
The solution was to create an annual golf and dinner event to raise money for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center and to ultimately fund the resources needed to bring human trials here to OSU for efforts already underway to test a functional cure for type-1 diabetes. And so it began, the 1st ever “Islet Cell Invitational” was held at the Columbus Country Club on June 26, 2017.
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center treats thousands of patients with diabetes and has one of the largest patient populations of individuals with type-1 diabetes. OSU has a number of exceptional programs specifically for type-1 diabetes including an adolescent to adult transition program and a diabetes technology clinic. OSU is uniquely positioned to be at the forefront of cutting edge technology to functionally cure type-1 diabetes and prevent the complications of this insidious disease.
We hope that the support of our sponsors will allow us to get to our goal and beyond. Your support means a great deal to us, and we hope you can join us in support of Dr. Hsueh and her colleagues as they work to find a cure for this terrible disease.
John Reehil, Event Chairman