Barbara Davis Center celebrates Colorado Type 1 diabetes patients' milestone

The Children's Diabetes Foundation held a medal ceremony for patients of the Barbara Davis Center who've lived with Type 1 diabetes for 50 years or more. There were 87 medal recipients in the ceremony including Dana Davis, Executive Director of the Children's Diabetes Foundation and the daughter of the founders of the Barbara Davis Center. 

"It's hard to believe that being diagnosed over 50 years ago led to this building," Davis told CBS News Colorado Anchor Michael Spencer. 

Davis got her Type 1 diagnosis when she was 7. 

"All I knew is that I was told that I would have to have shots every day, and I was terrified of shots," she recalled. 

Her entire life was turned upside down.

"It was needles that you boiled because they didn't have disposable needles yet. Insulin was impure so you could almost see things floating in the bottle," she explained. 

She was too young to completely understand the diagnosis, but she knew it was scary. 

"When you got Type 1 diabetes in the 70s, they thought you shouldn't have children. They thought you weren't going to live past 30 or 40. It was definitely very different," Davis said. 

Diabetes care has come a long way in 50 years. The facility that Dana's parents built has been leading the way. The Barbara Davis Center is world renowned for the treatment and research of Type 1 diabetes. 

"It's this incredible place that you can come and you can get care and half the time your providers have Type 1 and really cares and understands," Davis said. "I'm so proud that I can carry on the legacy that my parents started."

Patients of the Center are at the forefront of testing new treatments, like insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors, and now a medication infusion that delays the onset of the disease. 

Researchers are advancing the understanding of the disease, tracking in real time the autoimmune responses that create Type 1 diabetes, learning how to limit that damage and eventually how to stop it altogether. 

"What we would love is that we would be able to prevent Type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases as well," said Rachel Friedman, Associate Professor of Immunology and Microbiology at the Barbara Davis Center on the Anschutz Medical Campus. 

"Okay, look into your crystal ball, 50 years from now, what is your dream?" Spencer asked Davis. 

"I think in half the time we're going to have a cure. I'm never talking about that before. A lot of people talk about a cure. We've never talked about a cure. This is the first time I feel comfortable saying, 'Oh, in 25 years, we'll have a cure,'" Davis replied. 

"What has your journey with Type 1 diabetes been like?" Spencer asked. 

"It wasn't something that I originally wanted, I have to admit. I was very defiant. This wasn't what I wanted my life to be, but now, starting 10 years ago, I can't imagine doing anything else in my life," Davis responded. 

LINK: For Tickets & Information about Carousel Ball

The Children's Diabetes Foundation is the fundraising arm of the Barbara Davis Center. Their next big fundraising event is the Carousel Ball on Saturday, October 11, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Denver.