Benefit concert for diabetes research takes center stage at the Lobero Theatre

A local teen battling Type 1 diabetes will perform at a benefit concert for the William Sansum Diabetes Research Center in Santa Barbara.

Jackson Gillies has Type 1 diabetes and started wearing an insulin pump at age 4.

He is one of the first adolescents and one of 250 people worldwide to take part in a pre-clinical trial at the center.

The Artificial Pancreas trial will involve a system that measures blood sugar levels and makes insulin adjustments automatically with the help of a smart phone, giving people like Gillies more freedom.

“As technology advances, we want to get it in their hands to see teenagers and young adults thrive,” said pediatric endocrinologist Jordan Pinsker, MD.

Gillies’ insulin pump and glucose monitor help minimize an autoimmune skin disorder called hidradenitis suppurativa, which is another health challenge Gillies faces.

In 2016, Gilles won the Santa Barbara Teen Star USA competition at the Arlington Theatre.

He will lend his talents to a special benefit concert for the research center at 7 p.m. on March 4 at the Lobero Theatre, featuring Jim Messina and special guest John McFee.

To purchase tickets, click here.

The William Sansum Diabetes Center in Santa Barbara specializes in diabetes research, education and care. Dr. William D. Sansum was the first physician in the U.S. to produce and administer life-saving insulin to patients with diabetes in 1922. He founded the non-profit organization in 1944. For more information about the center, click here.

To learn more about Gillies’ music, click here.