Jerry O'Connell helps out juvenile diabetes walk

Organizers of the Telus Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk got unexpected help from a movie star in Lee Park Sunday.

Actor Jerry O'Connell dropped by to lend a hand.

"He came out to visit us and actually helped us clean up the park," spokeswoman Laurie Laronde told BayToday. "He took down tents and carried them into the truck and loaded the tables and chairs. He made the day for many of our walkers."

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The event raised about $16,800 with approximating 120 people joining in.

Across Canada over 40,000 Canadians took part.

"It's an autoimmune disease," explains Laronde. "About one in 10 kids will develop diabetes. It's something that affects their entire lives.every minute of every day. They have to think about what their blood sugars are, how much they've eaten, have they got the right insulin, have they had enough exercise?"

Laronde says she has a teenage daughter with the disease and that's how she got involved.

"My daughter was five years old when she was diagnosed and she's 17 now so we've been living with this for 12 years and it really is a struggle. From the time she wakes up in the morning she has to count her carbohydrates and test her blood sugars four to seven times a day and with everything she eats she has to figure out how much insulin goes with her carbohydrates are and so thinks about what her exercise needs are for that day."

Type 1 diabetes is life-threatening and occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. It is not preventable and its cause is unknown.

People with T1D must take insulin via syringe or insulin pump in required doses in order to control glucose levels in their blood.