His Godfather passed away last December after a lengthy battle with cancer. Since the day he was diagnosed in 2009 with diabetes, he was witnessing the battles his Godfather faced everyday, different than his, a battle that would only prolong the inevitable.
After he was diagnosed, at the age of 13, he had to battle within himself coming to grips with what he needed to face as an adolescent dealing with diabetes. And he did just that. He continued to learn and teach what it was like to live a better life with diabetes.
And yet, it was his Godfather’s battles that impacted him more. He came to be able to handle the diabetes, but ‘this cancer’ just was unacceptable and would not do.
He entered the work force at the age of 16 at a local fast food restaurant. He noticed, through a friend of his, that a young lady who battled cancer at his school began a club to bring awareness to cancer. He approached the group and became the liaison with his place of business and helped organize an entire event to raise money for the club and help in the awareness objectives they wanted…..to fight cancer.
He did not have to do that, he knows what is like to have diabetes. He has enough on his plate. But when one of our kids with diabetes does something to help others it makes us take notice, it makes us proud that they are willing to help others even if it is not about diabetes. They help because the need is there.
This young man is diabetesdad’s Sunday dHero for his efforts in helping because he saw the need of others and stepped up to the plate. He is also my son, Rob. Rob is a low-key behind the scenes type of guy. I not only love him dearly, he makes us proud every day.
Take a bow Rob, you are diabetesdad’s Sunday dHero.
I am a diabetesdad.
P.S. If you know of someone worth recognizing as a Sunday dHero–kindly send me their information to tkarlya@drif.org.