Meet our JDRF Global Legacy Challenge Sponsors

Jennifer Bennett and Doug Mays, JDRF Global Legacy Challenge Sponsors

Jennifer Bennett and Doug Mays

Jennifer and Doug’ son, Stuart, was diagnosed withT1D at the busy age of 3. Stuart’s diagnosis was just days after a local JDRF OneWalk®, and while the family knew nothing about JDRF or T1D at the time, in the coming days they quickly learned about the community they were being welcomed into. “The nurses and doctors that were treating Stuart while we were in the hospital had attended the Walk the weekend before. Everyone was talking about how fun and inspiring the event had been. While we were in the hospital someone from JDRF brought us a Bag of Hope®. Those things made an impression. They gave me hope that we wouldn’t be in this alone,” says Jennifer.

As Jennifer and Doug transitioned to a new life of Stuart living with T1D, they knew they wanted to do something. Something that was within their control when so much seemed out of their control. “Joining JDRF in their mission and taking part in the Walk the next year was something we could do,” says Jennifer. “It was in our control. It has become sentimental to us as we mark Stuart’s anniversary of living with T1D each year.”

Over the last 13 years, Jennifer has become more involved with JDRF, holding leadership roles on her local board and now as an IBOD member. “What keeps me going are the extraordinary advances that have been made, what is on the horizon and the people,” says Jennifer. “While the initiation is awful, the club is great. My JDRF friends and family are some of the most important people in my life.”

As JDRF Global Legacy Challenge Sponsors, Jennifer and Doug hope to encourage others to join them in leading the fight to find a cure. “I can see very tangibly the impact better therapies are making on lives, and that finish line to a cure is getting closer,” says Jennifer. “Including JDRF in your estate plans ensures you continue to accelerate achieving our vision of a world without T1D. Leaving bequests to JDRF has allowed us to meet our immediate family needs while also continuing our giving to JDRF-funded research beyond our lifetime.”

Learn more about including JDRF in your estate plans and the JDRF Global Legacy Challenge.