Tell your inspiration

What are the realities of trying to prevent or control diabetes? In your life, family, and/or community? What about this inspires you? Is it a person, an experience, or something you learned about diabetes?

TELL YOUR STORY


Inspiration Introduction




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Press Conference at the Columbus Library

Today I spoke at a press conference promoting the opening of the new campaign The Faces Of Diabetes. This is what I told them:

Men and women, young and old, you and me. We are all affected by diabetes whether it is you, family, friend even your friend's family. I am here to tell you how my life is affected by diabetes.

It was a hot and sticky June evening, we had all just eaten dinner at my Nana and Papa’s house. My mom started to feel nauseated. My Nana had had diabetes for over 20 years so she checked my mom’s glucose, it was a lot higher than it should be. When we came home my mom scheduled an appointment with her doctor. When she got home from the doctors she had been diagnosed with diabetes.

Turns out she may have had diabetes up to 5 years before she was actually diagnosed. This was not much of a surprise because of her family history. After that day all of our lives changed.

We ate out less, used more vegetables in our cooking and got more exercise. I like playing Dance Dance revolution and you get exercise from that. When I found out about all the changes that had to be made I got scared. I didn’t know what diabetes really was at the time. All I knew was that people I knew had it.

In the same summer on July 26th my Nana passed away from complications of diabetes.

Now I know that diabetes is a disease but I am a Scorpio and Scorpios hold grudges. I was mad that my Nana had died because of it so I wanted to do something to get revenge.

The next year when I was in 6th grade I started my Girl Scout bronze award on diabetes awareness. I put up posters with interesting facts and “know your risk” fliers in local places. In doing this I not only educated the public, I educated my family and myself as well. I was then able to better understand what diabetes was and what my mom had to do to keep her diabetes under control. 2007 was the year I became involved with the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The event was Step Out for Diabetes, I ran t-shirts for walker check in.

I am committed to help fight diabetes and doing all that I can to prevent people from getting it.

It is 2009 and I am now 14. I am still a girl scout and I am working on my silver award. I have a blog that is used to collect stories. The theme is “What inspires you to fight diabetes?”

I have interviewed people with a camera at step out and I have had people submit stories to my website, Inspiredbydiabetes.blogspot.com.

I think by creating this blog people will see what others are going through.
These stories don’t have to come from someone with diabetes. It can come from a friend or family member that is close to them. People who have diabetes need to understand that they are not alone and that there is hope. Every day I try to be as healthy as I can and I encourage people to do the same.

Let’s fight diabetes together.

Talking to a camera was kinda scary but I know that i am getting the word out. I also got the American Diabetes Association Teaching Award for educating the public about diabetes. The interviewer asked me how I got involved and how diabetes affects me. I told her that it was because of my mom and my nana. Thanks for all the wonderful support!

~Gen

Tell Your Story