Setting an Example

“Diabetes has never been one of the factors that I've allowed to hold me back. It's a medical condition, and you've just got to deal with it,” says Matt Cox, who lives in the village of High Lane in northwest England.

For Matt, setting a positive example is especially important because his son, Jack, also has type 1 diabetes.

In July 2011, Matt joined six swimmers, two of whom also have type 1 diabetes, in an almost 14-hour relay swim across the English Channel to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. All three swimmers with diabetes wore their waterproof* Animas^® Vibe™ insulin pumps as they braved the cold waters.

“Without my pump, this would not have been possible. It was clearly doable with the right tools,” says Matt.

Animas Corporation received CE Mark approval for the Animas^® Vibe™ Device in June 2011. It's the first and only continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)-enabled insulin pump system with Dexcom G4™ CGM technology, which allows for real-time glucose information, alerts for high and low readings, and glucose trend information.

While the Animas^® Vibe™ Device helped Matt manage his diabetes during the channel swim, it was still no easy undertaking. But Matt persevered.

“When I got in the water, to say I was scared would be a massive understatement. When it was over, it was a huge relief,” says Matt. “Diabetes has been a big part of my life, but it's in the background, and that's where I try to keep it.” 

* The Animas^® insulin pump is waterproof up to 3.6 meters for 24 hours. The Dexcom G4™ Transmitter is waterproof at 2.4 meters for 24 hours.