JDRF Expresses Profound Loss at the Passing of Actress Mary Tyler Moore, Longtime Champion of the Community Living with Type 1 Diabetes

NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The type 1 diabetes (T1D) community has said goodbye to a friend and its champion — Mary Tyler Moore. In celebration of her life, JDRF has established a tribute site at MooreForever.org, inviting individuals to share their memories, thoughts and appreciation for her life's work — both on and off screen.

"Mary was an American treasure who lit up the screen with her endearing performances that made her beloved by millions," said Derek Rapp, president and CEO of JDRF. "But for those of us whose lives have been impacted by this terrible disease, it was her off-stage role as a person living with T1D that will be her most enduring legacy. Mary was a champion for our cause and on behalf of the entire JDRF family and T1D community, we offer our deepest gratitude and heartfelt condolences to her family and her husband, S. Robert Levine, M.D., who is also a true friend of JDRF."

Mary Tyler Moore was first diagnosed with T1D at the age of 33, and in 1984 she became the international chairman of JDRF. Her relentless pursuit to achieve a world without T1D impacted countless lives and helped accelerate JDRF's research and progress toward finding a cure, while also allowing the organization to focus on the development and delivery of transformational therapies for all those living with T1D.

Lending her name and her voice to the movement, Mary Tyler Moore advocated to Congress, increased public awareness, and helped raise billions of dollars to fund scientific advances in research that today are helping to remove the impact of T1D from people's lives.

JDRF has established a special tribute site at MooreForever.org to honor and celebrate the life of Mary Tyler Moore. MooreForever.org provides a community for Mary's fans and those impacted by T1D to share their affection, memories and appreciation.

"I want to invite everyone who knew and loved Mary to join us in leaving a remembrance in her honor at MooreForever.org," said Rapp. "Together we can celebrate everything she is, was, and always will be."

About T1D
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which a person's pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. It occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, called beta cells. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. Its onset has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, and—at present—nothing you can do to get rid of it.

About JDRF
JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our six international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter: @JDRF

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jdrf-expresses-profound-loss-at-the-passing-of-actress-mary-tyler-moore-longtime-champion-of-the-community-living-with-type-1-diabetes-300396996.html

SOURCE JDRF