Narrator :
The Gould (goold) family is a pretty happy bunch, even as they deal with type 1 diabetes.
Dave Gould:
When Patrick was diagnosed and we knew nothing about diabetes, it absolutely, I mean, it was personally the worst day of my life.
Ellen Gould:
In a five second blood test, I mean your life completely changes forever.
Narrator:
Since neither parent had the disease, the diagnosis was stunning. Yet within a year-and-a half, the Goulds again faced type 1 diabetes... This time with daughter Sarah.
Dave Gould:
Probably about the point when we felt we were doing okay is when Sarah was diagnosed, and it was such a shock.
Narrator :
Sarah's diagnosis firmly planted the idea that something more than coincidence was going on.
Dave Gould:
It became pretty evident to us that there has to be some sort of a genetic thing going on here, but we don't know where it started.
Narrator:
To help doctors understand the autoimmune disease, the Goulds are taking part in a worldwide study.
William Russell, M.D.:
Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet was established, basically, to provide, to identify ways that we can either prevent or ameliorate the course, soften the impact of type 1 diabetes.
Narrator :
Doctor Russell says the risk of developing the disease goes up dramatically if you're closely related to a type 1 diabetic.
William Russell, M.D.:
For example, if you had a brother or sister with type 1 diabetes, your risk goes from an overall risk of about 1 in 250 to 1 in 20.
Narrator:
It's a risk the family's keenly aware of. Since enrolling in the TrialNet, a third child, Sam, was diagnosed.
Ellen Gould:
He had no symptoms that we could see, but just through those blood tests we knew that he was going to be diabetic and there was nothing that we could do about it.
Narrator:
The remaining five Gould kids without type 1 are regularly tested for early signs of the disease.
William Russell, M.D.:
We do a screening test in which we look for the antibodies against proteins in the islet cells that we know precede the development of diabetes, often by many months or even years.
Narrator:
The screening discovered Oliver has early signs of that immune attack. He's now part of an oral insulin study.
William Russell, M.D.:
By doing that, you induce what's called 'tolerance,' so that your body doesn't become quite so prone to attack insulin in other places in the body, in particular, in the islet cells.
Narrator:
It's a strategy they hope will give Oliver, and others, a shot at beating diabetes. For WebMD, I'm Damon Meharg.
