Someone who did not know me, at the hotel I am staying, asked me yesterday, “How is your day?” I said, “It’s been a GREAT Day, actually.” And on one hand, it was. Being any part of getting a law passed in any way, can surely be considered a good day. With that came a few thoughts.
The first one, is a feeling which I cannot shake, is that I’m constantly reminded how this law came into being. That pain and that sorrow. It will never leave Reegan’s Family. It’s my hope that there will be some sort of solace in the fact that her little name will live on forever in the law books of North Carolina. We believe, this is a first. It will be the foundation of which all else is built upon. I hope some sort of peace comes with that to Reegan’s family, they deserve at least that……and so much more which we cannot give them.
I also thought of the so many out there who do not have such a big mouth, as I do. I mean it one thousand percent when I state how large a part so many had to do with the passing of this law. As you can imagine, my phone and email lit up like a Christmas tree yesterday; and my answer was the same to all…..it was a huge effort by so many.
If you wrote a letter or contacted an elected official when we asked you to; yours are the voices that swept through the NC House and Senate. The voters in both Houses responded…….to you. David, in this story of David vs. Goliath, are all those who sat at a computer thinking “…….well I’m not sure how good it will do, but I have a loved one with diabetes (or I have diabetes) and I will send a letter……….and maybe I’ll be heard.”
And heard you were.
At the end of the day, we all will go back to where diabetes has taken residence. We will move on to the next thing that is important. The next initiative. The next fund-raising event. The next shot of insulin. But all of the efforts of days during the past few years came to a zenith at 11:56 pm on Tuesday evening, according to official records, when Reegan’s Rule became law.
Law.
In addition to the herculean efforts of Reegan’s Family, Representative Graham, and Senator Smith of North Carolina………there was you, there was an ‘us’. We are the diabetes community; get on-get off-or get run over. Congratulations to all—-no small part was played—-our voices were heard; and more importantly……..Little Reegan’s voice…….was heard.
I am a diabetes dad.
Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.