A group of 11 employees at AO have raised over £1,500, after completing a six-hour hike to raise funds for type 1 diabetes charity JDRF.
AO CRM Manager Charlie Tuohy was diagnosed with type one diabetes in 2013, when she was 17-years-old. When Charlie was first diagnosed, she had to give herself up to six injections of insulin per day and had to prick her finger every couple of hours to check her blood sugar.
Ms Tuohy said: “I still have to constantly think about balancing my blood sugar so they don’t go too high or too low, but with more advances in technology I’ve been able to do anything I want in life,” she said.
“I’m so thankful to JDRF for everything they’ve done for me since I received my diagnosis, so I was really touched when my amazing team agreed to raise money for them.
“From giving me lots of helpful material when I was diagnosed, to funding life changing research that’s had an impact on my daily life, I really want to give back them.”
Thanks to research from JDRF and technological advancements, Charlie now wears an insulin pump and has a continuous glucose monitor sensor instead of having to prick her fingers.
Included in the money raised was a £470 boost from the AO Smile Foundation, the retailer’s charitable arm. The team more than tripled their original target.
Terence Lovell, Fundraising and Engagement Director at JDRF UK, said: “We are so grateful to the team at AO for supporting our work at JDRF to find cures and support those living with type 1 diabetes. This incredible fundraising walk has raised a brilliant £1,587 which will make a huge difference.”
