Bestselling Author Brenda Novak Hosts Annual Online Auction For Diabetes Research In Honor Of Recently Diagnosed 2-year-old Ben

Thousands support month-long fundraiser which benefits the Diabetes Research Institute

News provided by

Diabetes Research Institute Foundation

May 01, 2013, 06:00 ET

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Brenda Novak, a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author, has raised more than $1.6 million with her annual Online Auction for Diabetes Research, in honor of her son, Thad, 16, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for over a decade. Now in its ninth year, the 2013 auction, which benefits the Diabetes Research Institute and takes place at BrendaNovak.com throughout the month of May, is dedicated to another little boy, Ben, 2, who was diagnosed with type 1 just months ago. Ben is the son of fellow author, Lauren Hawkeye Jameson (of Alberta, Canada), who has been supporting the auction for years.

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"I've always donated items to Brenda's auction to support a colleague and a friend. I had no idea that one day I would enter into a personal battle with diabetes," said Jameson, who noticed the signs of diabetes in her toddler (constant thirst, excessive urination) and immediately reached out to Novak. "Now, we're learning the 'new normal' that comes with the daily diabetes regiment. It requires constant vigilance, and even with excellent care, there are so many variables that create new challenges. We need to find a cure – now."

"It breaks my heart each time I hear about another person being diagnosed, and even more so when it's a child so young. How do you explain to a 2 year old why you need to prick his finger 10 times a day, give him painful shots, and carefully monitor his food intake," asked Novak. "I made finding a cure for diabetes my personal mission, and with the latest advancements at the Diabetes Research Institute, I know it will be within Thad and Ben's lifetimes."

Novak hopes to break the $2 million mark in cumulative funds raised, and more than 5,000 bidders throughout the country and beyond are expected to help her reach that goal. The auction boasts an array of one-of-a-kind items due to Novak's close connections in the literary world, such as private meetings with prominent authors, including a NYC lunch date with Lee Child, whose macho 'Jack Reacher' character was played by Tom Cruise on the big screen late last year. Other hot items include a pair of concert tickets and Meet & Greet with Bret Michaels, who has type 1 diabetes, a signed leotard by Olympian Aly Raisman, who is currently on Dancing with the Stars, plus must-have gadgets like Nook tablets, Kindles and iPads, world-class getaways, a two-week stay at Camp Bauercrest, jewelry, popular theme baskets and more. The bidding starts at $3 for all items; participants can literally end up with bargains beyond their dreams!

To participate in Brenda Novak's Online Auction for Diabetes Research, which benefits the cure-focused work of the Diabetes Research Institute, go to BrendaNovak.com to register, view items and bid. The auction starts on May 1, 2013 and closes on May 31, 2013.

About Brenda Novak
It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak's author career. "I caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup to get them to sleep while I was away," Brenda says. "It was then I decided that I needed to do something from home." Now she is a New York Times and USA Today Bestseller, and many of her books have been designated an RT Book Review Magazine "Top Pick" and have gone on to place in contests such as the Romance Writers of America Rita Award, the National Readers' Choice, the Bookseller's Best, the Write Touch Readers' Award, and the Book Buyer's Best. Brenda has given writing workshops at various RWA events, RT Book Review Magazine conventions, California Fiction Writer meetings, women's groups and library events. For more about Brenda, visit www.brendanovak.com, where you can find excerpts of her work, prize drawings, book trailers, freebies and information about her annual on-line auction for diabetes research which she holds every May in honor of her son and the many others who face this terrible disease.

About the Diabetes Research Institute and Foundation
The mission of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation is to provide the Diabetes Research Institute with the funding necessary to cure diabetes now. The Diabetes Research Institute leads the world in cure-focused research. As the largest and most comprehensive research center dedicated to curing diabetes, the DRI is aggressively working to shrink the timeline toward the discovery of a biological cure for this disease. Having already shown that diabetes can be reversed through islet transplantation, the DRI is building upon these promising outcomes by bridging cell-based therapies with emerging technologies. The Diabetes Research Institute was created for one reason – to cure diabetes – which is and will continue to be its singular focus until that goal is reached. For the millions of people affected by diabetes, the DRI is the best hope for a cure. For more information, call 1-800-321-3437 or visit DiabetesResearch.org.

SOURCE Diabetes Research Institute Foundation