Anton, born and raised in Simferopol, Crimea in Ukraine, is a remarkable man who learned how to survive through civil unrest and war while living with type 1 diabetes.
“I remember having to walk to at least six pharmacies to see if they had insulin,” said Anton. “The process to get a vial of insulin took about nine hours. I remember standing in line at a pharmacy and an officer advising me to leave because it was too unsafe to be outside. I felt I did not have a choice because I needed insulin to live.”
In July of 2022, Anton and his fiancé made the difficult decision to leave behind family members in Ukraine and immigrate to the United States in the hopes of attaining access to healthcare that he desperately needed to stay alive.
Shortly after Anton arrived in the U.S., he was introduced to SDRI by his sister, Viktoria, who has lived with type 1 diabetes since 2010. Viktoria was well acquainted with SDRI as she has participated in multiple research studies to advance SDRI’s mission. After a few months in the U.S., Anton’s diabetes management improved drastically, and he was able to gain control of his health.
“I felt like SDRI opened my eyes to a whole new world of diabetes research,” Anton commented. “It is really fascinating to be part of clinical research and be around others who are invested in the future of diabetes. I am blessed to become a part of something that helps further diabetes research.”
“During the war, I never knew how I would access my medical supplies that kept me alive,” shared Anton.