Montreal-area dentist wants you to wear blue for diabetes fundraising
Posted May 14, 2025 4:31 pm.
Last Updated June 11, 2025 2:00 pm.
A Montreal-area dentist is donating money to Type 1 diabetes research — but he wants you to wear blue first.
“Let’s use this condition and the situation in our family to bring awareness to Type 1 diabetes and make the public and the community understand what my daughter goes through every single day,” said Dr. Nilesh Amin, whose daughter Nyah was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes two years ago.
As the owner of Bella Dentaire in Vaudreuil, west of Montreal, Amin set out to do something about it. Up until June, for every photo or story shared wearing blue and tagging @belladentaire with the hashtag #BlueSmilesForT1D, his dental clinic will donate $10 to Breakthrough T1D, a Type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization.
“It’s always there. Some people would ask me if I, like, hope you feel better or something like that. But, like, I’m always going to have it and I hope there’s a cure soon,” said Nyah.
“The challenges or the day-to-day activities that were so small, became such a big deal for us as a family, said Amin.”
He said that his daughter’s school — Dorset Elementary School — has been supportive, raising over $500 so far.
“We also have some patients that are matching every donation that our office makes. They’re going to match a dollar for dollar up to a certain amount,” he said.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to mistakenly destroy insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The pancreas stops producing insulin, the hormone that controls blood-sugar levels, and insulin must be taken by injection or pump for the rest of that person’s life.
“Every time before I eat, I have to do a carb count and make sure it’s, like, carb counted right. If it’s not carb counted right, then I can go either high or low, which is really dangerous for me,” said Nyah. “I have to monitor my blood sugar probably every, like, I don’t know, five minutes. And if I’m having a low, I would take a juice box or a carb. And if I’m high, I would take more insulin.”
According to Breakthrough T1D, Type 1 diabetes can be diagnosed at any age, but 10 to 14 is the most common age of onset in most populations.
Nyah was 10 when she was diagnosed. Currently, 300,000 Canadians have Type 1 diabetes and nationally, the number of cases has been growing at an estimated 4.4 per cent each year. At this rate, there is expected to be 455,580 Canadians living with Type 1 diabetes by 2040.
“Knowing what I know, knowing that it is a lifelong disease that’s not curable, knowing what the day-to-day challenges that we faced or we were going to face, brought a lot of anxiety. But I knew that having the right team in Montreal was the way to go,” said Nyah.
Although Type 1 diabetes is a serious and challenging disease, long-term management options continue to evolve, allowing those with Type 1 diabetes to enjoy full and active lives. Breakthrough T1D is driving research to lessen the impact of Type 1 diabetes on a person’s life until a cure is achieved.
Nyah and her dad are raising funds for the Breakthrough T1D walk on June 8 at Angrignon Park. Rogers Communication Inc. is one of the event sponsors, and is also the parent company of CityNews.
“This campaign started a few months ago. We sat down at the kitchen table, thought about ideas of how we could bring awareness to the community, empower her to speak in public, understand that she has a voice, and use this identity for the better good,” said Amin.
“At first, I was a little nervous, and I didn’t know what was going on. So I was more stressed, and then after I started learning and more understanding what I have, and then now I’m basic, like I know the basic steps of Type 1 diabetes now,” said Nyah.
