Since she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, Cindy McLeanâs bodyâs immune system has been attacking itself, destroying insulin-producing beta cells in her pancreas. Those cells are needed to convert blood sugar into energy.
âThe kidney disease didnât come until about 45 years (after the diagnosis),â says McLean. âAs much as you try and control your blood sugars, you canât do it all the time. It just doesnât work that way.â
Growing up with Type 1 diabetes, McLean says, was a challenge. Her classmates were always asking why she was allowed to get juice or candy when no one else could. Sometimes this would lead her to hide when her blood sugar was low, causing her to go into a seizure.
Another challenge was the lack of knowledge on diabetes. While medical professionals and scientists know a lot more about diabetes, there is still a lot to learn, like what causes Type 1 diabetes. Leading theories suggest genetic and environmental factors lead to the autoimmune disease.
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McLean, who was born and raised in Campbell River, started struggling with kidney disease 17 or so years ago and needed a transplant when she started going into renal failure 11 years ago. She didnât find a donor until last year.
âIâm not sure how long Heather [Thomas] has been in Campbell River, but weâve kind of always known each other like acquaintances,â she says. âWe would run into each other. Of course, sheâs a dance instructor, so she was teaching at my granddaughterâs school â who lives with me full time â so we would talk there.â
When McLean started her business, Thomas would come to visit her. At one point, Thomas, whose son also lives with Type 1 diabetes, was adamant she was a match for McLean and continued looking into it. McLean wasnât so confident Thomas would be match after searching for a kidney donor for ten years, including putting an ad out in the Campbell River Mirror.
âSure enough, probably six months later she comes into the shop and says âIâm your match,â McLean says.
The transplant was originally supposed to happen in June 2023, but it didnât work out for either of the two. Thomas called McLean and said the only time they could do it was on July 19.
âI said, âYou got to be kidding me, thatâs my birthday.ââ So she said, âOh my God, do you want to do it on your birthday?â recalls McLean.
Her response? âHell yeah, weâre going to do it on my birthday.â
She couldnât have received a better birthday present.
The transplant was a success. McLean still needs to go to Vancouver every three weeks.
âWhat happened while I was there is the Kidney Research Institute approached me and they said I was the perfect candidate to start this new drug they are trying to get approved. After, listening to their story, I was like this is a no-brainer, so I decided Iâm going to do this research, Iâm actually on the research team.â
The drug is AT-1501, also known as Tegoprubart. It was originally developed to treat ALS and Alzheimerâs disease. McLean is one of seven people worldwide trialling the drug for Type 1 Diabetes. The trial is only in phase one of three.
While she is in Vancouver, she has to take intravenous medication for the research.
âWe still have phase two and phase three to get through, but as it goes now Iâm feeling amazing, Iâm doing amazing, everything is just going really good,â she says. âI started at eight/nine pills a day. Iâm now down to three.â
Before the transplant, McLean had to adhere to a very strict diet, like fruit and vegetables or anything very high in potassium. Now, she can eat and drink almost anything, except grapefruit, green teas and Earl Grey because they interfere with her medication.
âThe first thing I had after my transplant was French fries. I havenât had French fries or potatoes in ten yearsâŠThey werenât even the best French fries but they were good.â
