He was introduced. He is mega star in NY News. How fortunate that he would lend his good name and time to such a worthy cause. He calls them the way he sees them. He created his “The Debrief” as a vehicle to help accomplish telling the stories needing to be told. He is direct. He is bold. He doesn’t like ties, or one would think such a thing because ‘on air’ he usually goes without.
Last night he wore a tie. In front of me, last night, he is the Special Guest Emcee for the Empire Ball in New York. A thousand people in attendance, over a million dollars raised.
And as he starts his opening remarks he shocks the room into complete silence.
“You know this is a disease (diabetes) not to be taken lightly at all. A cure is needed”. He continues to tell the heart-wrenching story of a colleague; “Not a colleague I know, but a colleague in the NBC Family. My NBC Family”
I mean, literally a pin could be heard should it have been dropped.
He relays the heartbreaking story of Joel Connable, an Emmy Award winning newsman from NBC 6 in Miami who was transferred to his new job at KOMO-TV in Seattle. He married his long time girlfriend and two weeks later he died from a seizure on November 6th; the exact cause is still unknown if it was an insulin pump malfunction or not, but the exact cause is still being investigated. The result is the same. Joel is gone.
The Diabetes Research Institute certainly knew Joel’s work and he had done stories/interviews regarding the incredible work being done. He had interviewed our scientists at the DRI.
Mr. Ushery probably did not know that the very event he was at last night to support the DRI was the same DRI in Miami that knew his colleague. He continued on what a tragic loss this was to the NBC Family. Young, energetic, and in the prime of his career. It’s a story too many of us know; so many know more about than I.
It was a tragic loss to all that knew him……..isn’t that always the case?
David Ushery is correct, a cure is needed.
I am a diabetesdad.