OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — With four active boys, Michael and Kristina Agostino embraced the 'chaos' of those 'growing up years,' where each child was involved in one sport or another.
Their second-born, Nick, also happened to be good at art.
"He just creates magic when he has a canvas," Michael said.
But something else brought the couple and 3 News Now's Mary Nelson together in their west Omaha home.
In high school, Nick was losing weight and was always thirsty and tired. The family took him to the doctor three times, but it wasn't until a trip to the emergency room that they heard the diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes.
"As a mom, I feel so strongly about this mission because no parent should ever go through what we had to go through to see our child at death's door to get diagnosed," Kristina insisted.
Michael added, "For me, as a dad, I do still hold guilt. Like, as a pharmacist, why didn't I put together two and two?"
That experience fuels their focus today on research and advancements around cell therapies. Currently, over 300 clinical trials for Type 1 diabetes are in the works, including 12 for functional cures. A decade ago, Breakthrough T1D estimates there were just a few.
At the front of the pipeline is a stem cell-derived, insulin-producing islet cell therapy. Zimislecel could possibly reach the FDA this year. Other trials deal with immunosuppression, as well as alternatives to medications that suppress the immune system.
"To have healthy pancreatic cells producing insulin? That's the holy grail. And so, we see that at the end of the tunnel - we see that happening," Michael explained.
The Agostinos will be honored Saturday night at the Nebraska Breakthrough T1D Gala for their support in advancing research. KMTV is a long-time sponsor of Breakthrough T1D, formerly JDRF.
Donations to Fund A Cure are fully tax-deductible. This link connects back to the Agostino's efforts.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.
