Lilly Jaffe, of Chicago, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes more than six years ago, at the tender age of one month.

What has happened to Lilly over the past few months is remarkable.

Last summer, her parents Laurie and
Mike—longtime JDRF volunteers—had attended the annual meeting of JDRF's Illinois Chapter, where Dr. Louis Philipson, of the University of Chicago, presented. He mentioned a study out of the U.K. that showed that some children diagnosed with diabetes in their first six months of life actually don't have type 1 autoimmune

"Our family is watching a miracle unfold."
Laurie Jaffe

diabetes, but instead have diabetes characterized by a rare genetic mutation that can be treated with a common oral medication.

Mike approached Dr. Philipson and told him about Lilly—who had been on a pump for years by then. Since she fit the profile with her early diagnosis, she took a simple, saliva DNA test. The results came back in a few days—Lilly was positive for one of these rare mutations.

A month after that, Lilly was admitted to the University of Chicago's Clinical Research Center to begin a week-long program to see if the oral treatment could work for her. She began a small dose of the medicine and her insulin dose was cut in half. Over the course of the week, her oral medication was increased each day, and her insulin dose was decreased. After a week, tests began showing that, indeed, Lilly had begun to produce insulin on her own—for the first time in her six and half years of life!

The Jaffes left the hospital that night—with Lilly still on a pump, but using dramatically less insulin. About five days later, the pump came off, and Lilly had taken the last insulin shot she'll ever need.

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