11/14/10

Week 2: Day 14 - World Diabetes Day

Since 1991 the world has been celebrating World Diabetes Day on November 14. World Diabetes Day was created by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization. In 2007 World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day. The idea behind the campaign of World Diabetes Day is to bring more awareness to the disease since Diabetes is becoming one of the biggest threats to the health of millions of people all over the world. The goal is to bring more promote more awareness and education of the disease.

I have only recently begun to spread the word about diabetes. I decided this year that i needed to take more of a role in dealing with this disease that is trying to take over my life. I started out by participating in my first ever organized walk in October when I joined almost 1200 others in the Harrisburg, PA Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes. I spent time doing fundraising for this and managed to surpass the goal I had set for myself. I was very proud that i had managed to raise more than my goal my first time out. My husband signed on as a walk-on participant and walked with me. Next year the two of us (and anyone else i might be able to talk into it) will join and walk as a team. I hope to raise even more money next year.

Of course i have also started this blog to bring awareness to people, including my friends and family. I know if i can reach at least one person, then it is a success because that one person then has the ability to go out and inform another person and so on. It only takes one person to make a difference. And i know i have had several people comment to me that they have learned something from this blog, so I know i am successful in my goal here.

Another thing that i have done in my own way was to put a red streak in my hair for American Diabetes Month. I had heard of people doing this for Breast Cancer Awareness and thought i would change and adapt it for my cause. So on October 31st, the day before American Diabetes Month started, I dyed a red streak in my hair. Unlike others who had done this for other causes, I am not just keeping it in for the month. I plan to keep this red streak alive for as long as I can because people need to be aware of the disease all the time, just not during November. This is a disease that is always there and will always be there as long as there is no cure.

As time goes on, I hope to have the opportunity to do more for my cause and educate more people. This is a very serious disease and the world needs to learn about it.

Diabetes Fact: 1 in 3 children in the United States faces a future with Diabetes

No comments:

Post a Comment