LillyLuLu Foundation Partners With Children’s Hospital To Battle Diabetes; Monomoy Shootout Funds Play Major Role

When 41 vessels took to the waters off Chatham in August for the Monomoy Shootout Fishing Tournament, they were seeking bass, blues and tuna for sport, but the ultimate goal was to hook a much more devastating menace: type one diabetes.

The fleet should be pleased with what they have accomplished through their contributions.

The LillyLuLu Foundation, formed in 2022 to support research, advocacy and community engagement to advance breakthroughs for type one diabetes (T1D) and the beneficiaries of the Monomoy Shootout, has entered into a multi-year partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital to improve health outcomes for children with T1D.

“We are underway on our continued dialogue with Outer Cape Health Services to advance a similar structure,” said LillyLuLu Foundation President John Lashar. “This may take a bit of time as the population is less pediatric and more adult, but we are working through this. They appear to be a perfect partner and could be an avenue for the care and coach roll-out depending on what they come back to us with.”

The Monomoy Shootout Fishing Tournament raised more than $600,000 in August for the LillyLuLu Foundation. The partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital includes a gift of $250,000. Boston Children’s Hospital’s diabetes program is ranked number one by U.S News and World Report.

The establishment of the fund will have an immediate impact on closing the gap for underserved families and improving health outcomes for children with T1D, according to statement issued by Boston Children’s Hospital. The fund will support a dedicated diabetes resource nurse who will provide patients with access to and education on T1D care, technology and implement innovative processes for proactive outreach to high-risk families.

“The incredible support from the LillyLuLu Foundation is a game changer for our program and families,” said the hospital’s diabetes program director Dr. Kate Garvey. “This gift will help us even the playing field for outcomes, prepare to integrate new therapies that emerge, and keep health care disparities at top of mind. I am profoundly grateful for their support, and very excited to work together.”

Lashar, a part-time resident of Chatham, is co-founder of the nonprofit foundation along with his daughter Lilly Lasher, 21, who was diagnosed with T1D when she was 13. Lilly Lashar serves on an advisory committee in Boston Children’s Hospital and works with parents and patients who have been newly diagnosed with T1D. She has gone to Washington, D.C. to push politicians to make changes to benefit children suffering from the disease.

“As a patient of Boston Children’s Hospital and recipient of the greatest care available in the world, having T1D is a struggle every day as it does not stop or turn off I have had access to elite care and technology and it is important to me that we as a foundation and a T1D community do everything we can to expand access of both care and the latest technology to everyone living with this difficult disease,” she said.

“The lack of care leads to major health issues, a reduction in life expectancy and in many cases death. This collaboration and partnership is a first step we are undertaking to achieve greater access and equity in this space,” Lashar said.

John Lashar attributed this first-of-its-kind partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital to the many private donations made to the LillyLuLu Foundation and to the new partnership with The Monomoy Shootout Fishing Tournament.

“We are fortunate to be surrounded by many generous and passionate people and corporations that have allowed for such a direct impact so quickly,” he said. “We are harnessing the goodness of people, the desire to make a direct impact and addressing a need that should be available in today’s world through basic healthcare insurance coverage and policy. Unfortunately, too many in the T1D population do not get what they need for basic care of the disease which is relentless hour by hour and day by day. Our aim is to change that.”

Lashar said foundation members have met with a young family from Sandwich with a 9-year-old with T1D. The family has committed to help form a Cape Cod T1D Coffee Group, a support group that meets on a monthly basis and will focus on general engagement for day-to-day life.

“We know from our own experience that if this gets traction, it will be one of the most important and impactful things we can do as it relates to primary caregivers, especially moms navigating life,” he said.

Next summer sports fishermen will take to the waters off Chatham once again during the Monomoy Shootout Fishing Tournament hoping to snag a few fish while pursuing the bigger leviathan, T1D.