The Agostino family
Over a six-week period, Nick Agostino lost an inordinate amount of weight, was constantly thirsty, continually waking up with severe cramps and becoming more and more lethargic.
“It was progressively getting worse,” said his mom, Kristina. “We brought him to the doctor several times to no avail. And then one weekend, he just crashed and we had to rush him to the ER. His blood sugar was in the 800s, about eight times higher than where it should normally be.”
It was there in the ER that Nick was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1D). He was 15 at the time.
“Within three days, he had the insulin and potassium that helped him recover from the crash,” Kristina said. “The hard part is that families typically don’t find out their loved ones have it until things get so bad they find themselves in the ER. And that ties back to the educational awareness about this disease. What are the signs? When should someone be tested? If we had known more about Type 1 back then, it probably wouldn’t have progressed so far along before we knew what was really going on.”
T1D, an autoimmune disease that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all, was once viewed as a condition that could only be diagnosed in childhood. But research now shows more than 50% of diagnoses are in adults.
Once home, the family immersed themselves in creating a new disciplined diet, not just for Nick, but for the entire family, including his dad, Mike, and his three brothers. Kristina would also occasionally post updates on social media on what their family was going through.
“People began reaching out to us to let us know about Breakthrough T1D and how the organization helps people navigate everything that comes with this diagnosis,” Mike said. “So we reached out to them and it saved our lives.”
Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) is the leading global Type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization that is accelerating scientific discovery, therapeutic development and access to treatments and therapies for the entire T1D community, which includes children and adults who have been diagnosed.
“Just the electronic side of the research part has been unbelievable,” Kristina said. “Nick was one of the first to use the Bluetooth glucose monitors that make it easier to check his levels.”
Though not a cure for diabetes, the latest insulin pumps and glucose monitors help manage blood sugar levels while avoiding the wide fluctuations that can occur, preventing the side-effects of severe hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
With the new monitors, feedback goes directly to people’s phones, letting them know if their insulin levels are too high or low. For parents of babies and toddlers who can’t communicate what they’re experiencing, this is a crucial development.
Today, thanks to the continued breakthroughs and advances in research, technology and treatments, Nick is an independent 28-year-old graphic artist preparing for his wedding.
“We are still amazed at how sick he was 13 years ago when he was diagnosed and how far we’ve come since then, both personally and therapeutically in terms of the advances,” Kristina said. “He still struggles with it sometimes because, even though the technology and therapies have advanced, his lifestyle is still impacted by it. I have more and more hope now that more parents will not have to go through what we did before these advancements. We are all very excited to see what new treatments researchers are coming up with.”
Both Mike and Kristina, who have been involved with the nonprofit at multiple levels, are the event honorees of this year’s Breakthrough T1D Nebraska Gala on Sat., April 25, at the CHI Health Center. Breakthrough T1D has earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, recognizing the organization’s strong financial management and responsible use of donor dollars. This means that more donor dollars go directly toward funding research, advocacy and programs that improve the lives of people living with Type 1 diabetes. The event will include dinner, both a live and silent auction and entertainment by saxophonist and music arranger Antoine Gibson, who also lives with T1D. During the event, the Agostinos will give a brief talk on their experience over the last 13 years and the hope they have for what’s still to come.
To learn more about T1D, early detection, or to purchase tickets to the April 25 gala, please visit breakthrought1d.org/nebraska.
