Hi, I'm Drew, creator of the T1D1 App and this is my story. In Sept. 2020, I was 13 years old, lying in a hospital bed feeling completely overwhelmed after being told I have Type 1 Diabetes, a chronic autoimmune disease where I would need to give myself at least 5 shots of insulin a day. I was taught a series of math formulas to calculate just the right amount of insulin needed for each shot (not too much, not too little). Ok, I thought, there’s gotta be an app for this, but there wasn’t. So, I built one!
As it is when you're newly diagnosed with anything, you immediately gain new awareness to issues you never knew existed. Through my initiation and conversations with doctors, educators and people with Type 1, I quickly learned that the need for this app was much greater than I realized. I learned that...
People in rural and underprivileged areas don't receive the same access to care or may not even have access to WiFi to share their data with their doctors.
Technology is expensive! Insulin pumps alone cost $4000-$8000. And that doesn't include all the other supplies you need to run the pump.
When you're first diagnosed, and you're lucky enough to have insurance, it can still take a long time for some insurance companies to approve diabetes technology so you're left calculating insulin on your own.
Diabetes management relies on understanding and calculating math formulas 5 times a day. If you're not confident in math (which it turns out, many are not), you face the risk of giving yourself the wrong amount of insulin...every 3 hours, every day.
With all of this in mind, and having more spare time than usual (thanks to virtual school during COVID), I was able to release a basic version of the App just six weeks after my diagnosis. I called it T1D1 which stands for Type 1 from Day 1 and it’s a totally FREE app aimed at empowering kids to help them manage this disease, from anywhere in the world (on or offline). The doctors and users loved it!
"…BY FAR the easiest to use and is the ONLY app I’ve found that has all the functionality we’re looking for…" "…only one I’ve ever taught my pediatric patients…" "…far exceeded any other available app…."
Of course, it couldn't just be that simple. We were told that the app needs FDA clearance so, after more than 45,000 downloads and an incredible outpouring of support, we had to remove it from the two App Stores. Through an incredibly generous partnership with Diabetes Center Berne and a company named Comerge, both from Switzerland, we rebuilt and documented the app to FDA standards. It's awesome. Like, really awesome.
We've come so far 3+ years later and we have ONE last step to go before we can submit to the FDA: Completing a Human Factors Trial to validate the app's safety and effectiveness. This is where you come in. Our ask is to help us raise $145,300 to pay a team of researchers, developers, and Human Factor experts to complete this last step in the process. Click here to view our detailed budget - we are always 100% transparent. Every penny raised will go directly into the study and seeking FDA clearance. Period. Once the app is published, it will remain free to all users.
We have four Milestones in our campaign:
$15,300 will allow us to modify and complete the Usability and Risk Analysis, based on FDA feedback
$46,400 will allow us to complete all of the necessary documentation in preparation for the Usability Study
$82,400 will allow us to not only prepare for the Study but actually complete it!
$145,300 will help us complete the FULL FDA submission, including all documentation, reporting, and expenses.
Please consider donating today and we appreciate any support you can provide even if it's simply helping us to get the word out. Forward this to doctors, educators, nurses, organizations, clinics, friends, and families whom you think would be willing to support this effort. With your help, we can get the T1D1 App back up in the App Stores and help make the lives of so many people just a little easier. Drew