Rufus: A Friend for Children with Type 1 Diabetes

The Bukhman Foundation is proud to support Breakthrough T1D UK with a £350,000 gift to strengthen its Community Engagement programme and refresh Rufus, the Bear with type 1 diabetes, a vital resource for children newly diagnosed with T1D.

Rufus helps children understand how insulin is given and provides comfort during an overwhelming and challenging time, becoming a meaningful source of reassurance for families. With this support, Breakthrough T1D UK will introduce new features that reflect the modern technologies many people with T1D now use.

The donation will also help sustain and expand community events, bringing together people of all ages to share experiences, learn about treatments and technology, and ensure that no one in the T1D community faces the condition alone.

For the Bukhman Foundation, supporting resources like Rufus and Breakthrough T1D UK’s community engagement reflects our mission to generate lasting positive impact for people and families living with type 1 diabetes.

About Breakthrough T1D 

Breakthrough T1D UK, formerly JDRF UK, is the leading global organisation funding type 1 diabetes research. Our mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat type 1 diabetes and its complications.

To accomplish this, Breakthrough T1D has invested more than £1 billion in the last five years alone. We collaborate with the most talented minds to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with type 1 diabetes. Our staff and volunteers around the globe are dedicated to campaigning for our vision of a world without type 1 diabetes.

About type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all. People with T1D must inject their own insulin, without which a person dies within hours or a few short days. People with T1D live with the risk of short and long-term complications, which can include highs and lows in blood sugar; damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and heart; and even death.

In the UK over 400,000 people live with T1D.

Many believe T1D is only diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, but diagnosis in adulthood is common and accounts for nearly 50% of all T1D diagnoses. The onset of T1D has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. There is currently no cure for T1D.