Diabetes is a misunderstood disease and a disease that, no matter how informed we are, isn’t something we’ll ever really understand or 100% control. I was diagnosed at a young age and next year will have had it for thirty years. I’ve got my twenty-five year medal and am working toward a fifty-year medal. I refuse to believe that isn’t possible.
Many people think I must have done something to get diabetes. Many people think anyone who has diabetes must have done something. They ate too much sugar or didn’t exercise enough. That simply isn’t so. Most of my husband’s entire family ended up with Type II no matter what they did or how they took care of themselves. And me? I was a nine-year old who ate just like the rest of my family when the disease attacked.
It annoys me when diabetes is blamed on the person, like we did something wrong. Type I diabetes is especially misunderstood, and I face constant judgment when people find out I have it. I’ve done everything I could to understand and control it, but a young diagnosis like that isn’t fair or possible to understand.
When I was growing up, I longed for a better understanding of the disease. Research and compassion toward something that seemed so hopeless but something I wasn’t about to let control me. Now, every May, Brenda Novak has an auction to help fund diabetes research, especially in juveniles. It is something I am so grateful for and something I wholeheartedly support. Diabetes has come a long way since I was first diagnosed. Back then, I only had two syringes to choose from, two insulin choices, and not much hope. My insulin pump has changed my life, but isn’t something that would be possible without research.
I’ve always wanted to do something to change the world, at least in a minor way. What Brenda Novak has done and what she is continually growing because of her child is amazing and something I truly respect. That’s why, during this month of May, I have decided to donate any proceeds of my books to diabetes research. Half to the American Diabetes Association, because I believe in that cause, and the other half to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Why have I chosen two? Because I believe they both offer opportunities for diabetes advancement, and I’d like to support both.
Not only will I donate my proceeds, but I will donate the entire amount of my book. That means if you bought my book for $3.82 (as is Amazon.com ebook price), I will donate that entire price to diabetes research. If I sell 100 books in the month of May, I’ll donate each amount, i.e. $382. Why am I doing this? Because I want to make a difference. And now, if you buy my book, you can make a difference by reading a good book for very little cash and donating to a good cause without forking over several hundred dollars.
Thank you for supporting diabetes research!