Mayor Tom, Prominent Doctors and the Great Cliff Harris All Come Together To Fight Diabetes

Photos by Andrea Grimes

Dallas Cowboy football legend Cliff Harris came to hear Mayor Leppert and crew call for participants in a new diabetes study at UT-Southwestern.

​Mayor Tom Leppert and wife Laura, representatives from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, city council member Delia Jasso, and -- dun-dun-dah! -- former Dallas Cowboy Cliff Harris gathered earlier this morning in the Flag Room at City Hall to call for volunteers for a new study of a new medication called metreleptin, which may significantly change the way Type 1 Diabetes is treated.

"Diabetes is a community issue and a very personal issue for me," because his uncle and father both suffered from the disease, Leppert told the small crowd of newsfolk. Indeed, a number of speakers at today's press conference are living with diabetes (you know, it is really hard not to type "diabeetus" every time this comes up, and I want you guys to know how hard I'm fighting it) and spoke to the importance of a new research program that needs non-overweight young adults with Type 1 Diabetes to participate. Those interested can call the UTSW researchers at 214-648-3621.

"This is indeed a win for Dallas," said Leppert. "It's illustrative of the important medical discoveries that are happening in this community."