SURVIVOR PROFILE
By Caroline Sposto Photo by Tindall Stephens
Allies for a Cause
A news anchor and a leading endocrinologist lock arms in the fight against Type 1 Diabetes
According to the American Diabetes Association, about 1.25 million Americans have Type 1 diabetes, and an estimated 40,000 people will be diagnosed each year. Though statistics vary by source, it is undisputed that the Mid-South has a higher incidence of the disease than most other regions. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition that makes the body unable to produce insulin, the hormone that enables the body to convert blood glucose to energy. Without insulin, the body has to resort to breaking down its own tissue. Another, potentially fatal, consequence for people with Type 1 diabetes is Diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, which is an overload of glucose in the bloodstream. The cause of Type 1 diabetes is not yet known, and there is not yet a cure. Thanks to dedicated researchers, healthcare professionals, activists, and educators, however, the disease can be managed. Two local champions for that cause are Dr. Kashif Latif at AM Diabetes & Endocrinology Center in Bartlett and Fox News Anchor Darrell Greene. For both men, it is an intensely personal cause. Dr. Latif’s son, Ahmed, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes before his first birthday. The rigor of managing his son’s disease led Dr. Latif to return to school for a specialty in endocrinology. He opened AM Diabetes and Endocrinology Center in 2002. Darrell Greene was diagnosed in 1993 when he was 23 and just starting his career on air. He arrived in Memphis in 2010 and was referred to Dr. Latif. “I get along with Dr. Latif so well because he’s a man with a mission,” Darrell says. “We share the same mission.” Both men are deeply devoted to fundraising and diabetes awareness. Darrell is a chapter board member and congressional advocate for the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation and has done dozens of news stories about the disease. Meanwhile, Dr. Latif is working to break new ground in patient care. In addition to setting up the world’s first insulin pump center, he is currently developing Type 1 diabetes registry for Shelby County and building a gym designed for the unique needs of his patients.
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“The gym will have a controlled environment,” Dr. Latif explains. “Not only will it allow patients to monitor their blood sugar before and after exercise, but our exercise prescriptions will be tailored to diabetes-related complications such as eye disease, nerve damage, and heart disease.” He has designed this facility as a prototype for other healthcare providers to follow.
“ You either have to own Type 1 diabetes, or it will own you.” – Darrell Greene