The Congenital Hyperinsulinism International (CHI) community grows each day with births, surgeries, and difficult diagnoses.  CHI’s mission is to create awareness, provide support, and advance research to improve the lives of those impacted by congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) and other rare hypoglycemia disorders globally. HI is a life-threatening disorder that causes dangerously low blood sugar levels. Prolonged or severe low blood sugar can cause seizures, brain damage, and even death. We hope you will partner with us to prevent damage and death, search for better treatments, and improve the quality of life for all HI patients.

It is with this goal that we are pleased to hold this year’s annual Sugar Soirée on Saturday, November 4th, at The Montclair Art Museum in Montclair, New Jersey. This charitable event raises necessary funds to support our work of:  

• Raising vital awareness to end preventable brain damage and death from low blood sugar.  

• Advancing new research through patient-powered research studies, the HI Global Registry, and fund pilot clinical research grants.  

• Helping patients gain access to specialized treatment, essential medications, critical supplies, and needed support to those living with the disease, and their families, every step of the way.  

The entire night is devoted to patients and their families with congenital hyperinsulinism a rare disease that causes dangerously low blood sugar levels that can lead to brain damage and death. CHI is the only US patient organization dedicated to supporting children and adults with this disease and the foremost advocate for increased awareness and better medical protocols to reduce preventable brain damage and death from prolonged low blood sugar.  

During “the sweetest evening,” we will pay tribute to some outstanding members of the CHI community, who will be awarded the following honors: 

The BE MY SUGAR EXTRAORDINARY RESEARCHER AWARD

Dr. Sarah Flanagan  

Professor in Genomic Medicine and Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow, University of Exeter Medical School, UK 

The BE MY SUGAR EXTRAORDINARY VOLUNTEER AWARD

Leo Folsom 

CHI Patient Advocate member of the Collaborative Research Network 

The BE MY SUGAR EXTRAORDINARY NURSE AWARD

Heather McKnight 

 Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Hyperinsulinism Clinical Team