Galveston County Daily News, April 3, 2007 GALVESTON - Building upon a commitment to fund diabetes research and patient education, the Emmett and Miriam McCoy Foundation recently contributed $275,000 to support innovative stem cell studies at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, as well as a university-sponsored conference for diabetes patient educators. Diabetes is an incurable disease that prevents the body from producing or properly using insulin, the hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy.