I AM ONE OF 26 MILLION - PEOPLE IN AMERICA LIVING WITH DIABETES

I will never forget receiving the call from the doctor telling me to immediately go to the hospital. It was late in the evening not long after my fifteenth birthday. I was typing a paper for my Civics class the night my life changed forever. That first night was one of the worst. Being a very independent young man, I felt like I was losing control of my life. People were coming in and out of my hospital room at all hours of the night sticking me with needles and taking blood tests. I did not eat dinner before I went to the hospital. I was so hungry, but the doctors and nurses told me I could not eat anything until the morning. I felt so helpless!

In the days that followed, I realized how drastically my life was going to change. I saw a litany of people who told me about the strict diet that I must follow and taught me how to give myself a shot, which was particularly difficult for me since I was deathly afraid of needles at the time. While I was blessed with an amazing team of healthcare professionals, I remember, as a young person, feeling very frustrated because I felt that these people, while helpful, could not truly understand what I was going through.

I have always been blessed with a good support structure. My family was very helpful. Throughout high school I was under the care of an extremely talented pediatric endocrinologist. A family friend who is a type-1 diabetic and a few years older gave me the chance to talk to someone who had actually been through what I was going through. In college, which presents a new set of challenges-especially considering the fact that I was 1000 miles away from the support structure to which I had grown accustomed, I was lucky to find a young doctor who was a type-1 diabetic herself. She would take time out of her busy teaching schedule to see college students with diabetes to help them navigate the difficult waters of college life.

Twenty years later I guess I am now more circumspect.  However, the years of sitting in an office behind a desk has taken its toll on me.  I recently purchased an insulin pump with CGM, which I feel has given me more freedom-particularly when it comes to exercise.  As such, I bought myself a new bike for Christmas.

So, in one sense, I am riding for myself, but I am also riding for the 26 million others with diabetes in this country-especially those that did not have access to the same medical care and opportunities as me.  It is my opportunity to change the future and make a positive impact on the lives of those who are affected by diabetes-including my own.  I am committed to ride and raise money in this inspirational event.  Help me start a chain reaction!

Diabetes touches the lives of so many people in this country.  In America someone is diagnosed with diabetes every 17 second.  If current trends continue at their present rates, then 1 out of 3 children born in 2000 will be diagnosed with diabetes during their life.  The ratio is even higher in the African American and Hispanic communities-approaching 1 in 2.  In the time that it takes you to read this message, 2 or 3 more people will be diagnosed with diabetes in this country.

By making a donation on my behalf or by joining my team, you will be helping the Association provide community-based education programs and protect the rights of people with diabetes.  But, most importantly, your donation will help fund critical research for a cure.

With your help, we will come one step closer to a future where children will never receive the call that I received twenty years ago.  With your help, we can fight for a future in which 26 million Americans and I have outlived diabetes.

I truly appreciate your support. Together we can Stop Diabetes!