After being diagnosed with diabetes and understanding the importance of early diagnosis of the disease first hand, Allie Beatty has decided not only to advocate for the disease and help others who suffer from it, but also to develop a way of improving rates of early detection. Beatty reinvented a simple diabetes test called Dip a Stick and is now looking for funding to launch it.
The easy detection Dip a Stick test has been recreated by Beatty in order to enable anyone to take the test in the comfort of their own home by putting the stick in a cup of their urine. The stick will then change color and can be interpreted according to a code that determines urine glucose levels, making it an early, noninvasive test that can alert individuals if further examination is needed.
The new test is meant to provide an accurate early detection method that is not expensive, painful or difficult to perform. “Regular urine checks with Dip a Stick will help identify signs of diabetes,” explained Beatty in a press release. “It’s important that you discuss the results with a healthcare provider. My experiences in life have given me the opportunity to develop a way for others to live a healthy life with early diabetes detection.”
“There are over 8 million people in the US who have diabetes and don’t know. I want to do something for those people, enabling them to get medical help before it’s too late,” she said. “According to healthcare providers, early detection and proper management of diabetes is instrumental to living a healthy life. This type of campaign to raise awareness of diabetes was not around in 1985 when I was diagnosed. Using Dip a Stick to detect diabetes is as important as wearing a seat belt to reduce injury in a car accident.”
However, in order to help others, she needs financing to market the product. The manufacturing, shipment and advertisement of Dip a Stick has a total start-up cost of $40,000, according to Beatty. Since she is not able to support the costs, she has launched a campaign on Indiegogo, in which all donations to make Dip a Stick a reality are welcome.
Allie Beatty decided to work on the Dip a Stick, since she personally experienced the lifelong damage a late diagnosis of the disease can cause, which can increase the risks of developing additional medical complications. “My diabetes was not diagnosed until I was an adult and I paid the price. I had 29 years of complications that included a coma, strokes, partial blindness, and kidney failure,” added Beatty.
In addition to currently working in the commercialization of Dip a Stick, Allie Beatty is also dedicated to actively advocating for diabetes. She is responsible for the free newsletter called Allie’s Voice About Diabetes, in which she shares by e-mail the latest research developments regarding the disease, as well as product reviews and educational videos.
