The Humboldt and Area Team T1D members present a $60,000 cheque to DRIFCan's Melanie Hibbard before run number seven on Saturday night. Over $5,000 was still raised following the presentation. Pictured (L to R): Maria Strasser, Cailin Hergott, Jason Holtvogt, and Melanie Hibbard. (submitted photo/Becky Zimmer)

By Becky Zimmer

Running towards a cure

Humboldt’s ultramarathon continues fundraising efforts for diabetes cure

Jun 5, 2023 | 8:56 AM

The Humboldt and Area Team T1D wrapped up another successful year of raising money for Type 1 Diabetes research with their 4X4X48 run.

Over $65,000 was raised during the three-day event, which also included a kick off banquet with comedian Kelly Taylor and a community run on top of the grueling 48-mile ultramarathon. Funds raised will go directly to the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation Canada (DRIFCan) and the research coming out of the University of Alberta and Dr. James Shapiro.

For the third year in a row, Humboldt’s Jason Holtvogt ran four miles every four hours for 48 hours, equating the entire experience to being a parent of a child with Type 1 diabetes.

“That’s what having your child diagnosed with Type 1 felt like,” he told the crowd during the opening banquet on June 2. “A whole bunch of shock and fear and then an entire team effort to learn how to manage.”

Holtvogt’s daughter, Aubree, was diagnosed on June 3, 2018 at the age of four. She is his superhero, he said, and during the superhero themed run, Holtvogt, adorned in a blue tutu, told the story of Aubree singing in the halls of the hospital during the early days of her new life with Type 1. His hero sang as she went into battle, he said tearfully before the run.

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The fundraising event and the run has grown over the past years and Holtvogt was joined by four other Humboldt runners for the entire 48 miles; Becky Ell, Mike Ulriksen, Jordan Dalsin, and his son, Seth, including many others who ran anywhere from four miles to over half the distance.

However, the event is about more than just the run, Holtvogt said. From counting carbs, to feeling lows coming on, there is so much people don’t see when people and their caregivers are living with Type 1 diabetes, he said.

“You won’t see the preparation for school snacks, meals, and treats offered at school. Also, planning their dosages of insulin around school trips and physical activities to make sure their diabetic is included, and safe. You don’t see the worry over sending their diabetic to a sleepover for the first time.”

Being diagnosed early in life, Holtvogt is happy for all the things that Aubree won’t remember following her diagnosis, including what life was like before Type 1 became a definitive facet in their lives. Given the research going on with Shapiro, he is also waiting for the day when there’s a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

Running every four hours meant a few midnight and early morning runs for Jason Holtvogt and his fellow runners. This 12:32 a.m. halfway point photo represents so much more to a parent of a child with Type 1 diabetes since being awake at this time is nothing new. (submitted photo/Becky Zimmer)

Also in attendance over the weekend was Melanie Hibbard, executive director of DRIFCan.

Through stem cells and gene editing on a diabetic person’s actual stem cells, Hibbard said they are looking to further already developed treatments for Type 1 that will not require anti-rejection medications, meaning they will have an actual cure for the disease.

According to Hibbard, that cure could already be five to seven years away from where they are at their Edmonton-based lab. They are currently performing trials on mice with preparations being made to move on to human trials within the next 12 to 18 months.

According to Humboldt’s Team T1D, there are over 40 families in the Humboldt area with a child who has been diagnosed with Type 1. For a city of 6,000 people, not including the surrounding communities, this is an incredibly high number of people impacted by Type 1 Diabetes in such a small area, said Hibbard. Being a mother of two sons with Type 1, Hibbard said this is such an understanding and supportive community.

“It’s amazing this group they’ve put together, and that they really do have a focus; they support each other and the community, but then on top of that, they just want to find a cure.”

While this is now a wrap on the 4X4X48 run for 2023, Humboldt and Area Team T1D team member Cailin Hergott said they have a few more events planned to wrap up their fundraising year. With an ongoing gift card fundraiser, a Bad Moms event this fall, and a puck toss during an upcoming Humboldt Broncos game, Hergott said they hope to reach a final total of $75,000 by the end of the year.

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becky.zimmer@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @bex_zim