BOSTON, MA (November 7, 2023) – In a groundbreaking partnership between Boston Children’s Hospital Diabetes Program, ranked #1 by U.S News and World Report, and the Lillylulu Foundation (www.lillylulufoundation.org), a 100% volunteer T1D focused 501c3 targeting underserved and underfunded areas, have announced a multiyear partnership to establish the Lillylulu Fund for T1D at Boston Children’s Hospital with a generous initial gift of $250,000 from the foundation.  The establishment of this Fund will have an immediate impact on closing the gap for underserved families and improving health outcomes for children with T1D.  The Fund will support a dedicated diabetes resource nurse who will provide patients with access to and education on T1D care, technology and implement innovative processes for proactive outreach to high-risk families.  

The partnership is, in part, a response to recent studies and data that reveal racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in diabetes technology use that exists. The advanced technology available including CGM and hybrid closed loop device use have widened existing health equity gaps among non-white children in the United States. The research conducted at numerous diabetes centers throughout the country document these inequities, with individuals from underrepresented minority groups and those with public insurance demonstrating lower CGM and pump use with higher hemoglobin A1c values.  This program is being launched under the leadership of Boston Children’s Diabetes Program Director Kate Garvey, MD, MPH and Gretchen Waldman, MSN, RN, CDCES following a very successful pilot that served over 400+ families identified as high risk in tapping the promise of direct care and the latest in diabetes technology.  Dr. Kate Garvey states, “The incredible support from the Lillylulu Foundation is a game changer for our program and families. This gift will help us even the playing field for outcomes, prepare to integrate new therapies that emerge, and keep health care disparities at top of mind.  I am profoundly grateful for their support, and very excited to work together.”

Co-Founder and Director of the Lillylulu Foundation, Lilly Lashar (21), states, “As a patient of Boston Children’s Hospital and recipient of the greatest care available in the world, having T1D is a struggle every day as it does not stop or turn off.  I have had access to elite care and technology and it is important to me that we as a Foundation and a T1D community do everything we can to expand access of both care and the latest technology to everyone living with this difficult disease.  The lack of care leads to major health issues, a reduction in life expectancy and in many cases, death.  This collaboration and partnership is a first step we are undertaking to achieve greater access and equity in this space.”  Co-Founder and President of the Foundation, John Lashar, attributes this first of its kind partnership with the Boston Children’s Diabetes Program to the many private donations made to the Lillylulu Foundation and the new partnership with The Monomoy Shootout, Fishing for a Cure event (www.monomoyshootout.com) held this past August in Chatham, MA which raised over $600,000 net to the Lillylulu Foundation.  “We are fortunate to be surrounded by many generous and passionate people and corporations that have allowed for such a direct impact so quickly.  We are harnessing the goodness of people, the desire to make a direct impact and addressing a need that should be avoidable in today’s world through basic healthcare, insurance coverage and policy.  Unfortunately, too many in the T1D population do not get what they need for basic care of the disease which is relentless hour by hour and day by day.  Our aim is to change this.”       

The Lillylulu Foundation Fund for T1D at Boston Children’s Hospital will allow for the diabetes team to focus care in innovative ways that support device use, lifting patients who face significant barriers due to poor social determinants of health.  In addition to hopefully attracting more donors and additional capital interested in such a direct impact program, this partnership is hopeful that this will create a roadmap for other programs and institutions to follow so that new technologies and care can be integrated for the benefit of all and closing the inequity gaps that exist today.

About Boston Children’s Hospital Diabetes Program:  Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease and is one of the most chronic diseases of childhood, second only to asthma in frequency.  The Diabetes Program at Boston Children’s Hospital is dedicated to empowering children to manage diabetes and live health lives.  We are one of the largest pediatric centers in North America.  We treat infants, children, adolescence and young adults with diabetes.  The Program currently has roughly 2500 established T1D patients with another 250-300 new patients diagnosed here at the hospital each year. T1D requires unending attention to glucose monitoring, carbohydrate intake, insulin administration, exercise and sick day management, placing heavy demands on the families and caregivers to learn and carry out these tasks.

About the Lillylulu Foundation, Inc.: The Lillylulu Foundation, Inc. (www.lillylulufoundation.org) is a 100% volunteer based 501c3 organization that has been created to harness the generosity and focus of a group of T1D donors and influencers to have an efficient, meaningful and direct impact on the T1D community.  The impact we strive for is to be a contributor to finding a cure through research and to address systematic deficiencies in care (physical and mental) by improving outcomes for those diagnosed with T1D.  As parents and friends of T1D’s, our mission is rooted in “Areas of Focus” that we intend to provide directed giving.  We believe that providing direct gifts in focused initiatives will allow the Lillylulu Foundation to use its strengths of PASSION and DISCIPLINE to monitor the intended and actionable outcomes of those we choose to partner with.  As a 100% volunteer organization, we will seek out partners and organizations with fresh ideas and those that we believe are underfunded within our “Areas of Focus” to create relationships that allow us to drive influence and positive outcomes for our T1D community.  Making as great an impact as possible is at the core of why the Lillylulu Foundation has been created by the family of a T1D young lady named Lilly.  Our “Areas of Focus” are: Research (Cure and Treatment), Basic Physical and Psychosocial Care & Support of the Underprivileged and Diverse populations; Endocrinologist Advancement & Education and, of course, Advocacy.