As this year ends, I am still driven by how far this year has taken us in the battle against missing the diagnosis of T1D and the diagnosis while in DKA. It’s a battle that can be won. And THAT battle is a series of wars in every state.
What can you do? I believe this battle can be fought on many fronts and with many, many, willing and eager participants. If I start to list them, I will miss some and I DO NOT want to do that, but know they are out there. They are out there advocating, spreading the word, and creating resources for others to use. The question remains and will always remain, what will YOU do about it?
Now to be clear, if your plate is full and you have the initiatives you find important in this diabetes battle have ‘filled’ your plate ; fine. Thank you for not doing nothing. But if you are still looking for something to do; you have many approaches from which to choose to help solve this problem. One approach is meeting with your legislator for possible action in the form of a law regarding this issue. There will be some more tools about this upcoming and there are many out there already. It’s a powerful means to try to make sure that no one else passes away from undiagnosed T1D ever again. It will take time, like it took us time in North Carolina. And it may only be a step, but any step is a good step to build upon.
Another approach is now. Right Now. There are many means to download posters and spread the word in any community. Others have shared theirs (if you have any, please share as a reply to this post on this page so all have the information from which to choose) and I have discussed many times what is available at www.getdiabetesright.org that Kim May (a dMom) and I have made available. But there can never be too many reminders
I have also shared a REALLY POWERFUL note that can be sent home from school nurses created by the National Association of School Nurses. This has been sent out to 33,000 people in their data base……but we can help. I wrote about it and you can read about it and download it here. Enlist school groups for community service. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, After-School service groups, Chamber of Commerce—-create an army to distribute the letters and/or posters which can be hung anywhere; and you can do it with little money (cost of poster to be copied), or have someone with a printer donate a hundred for you to distribute.
People are discussing many things on a larger scale from PSA’s to other initiatives; these are all good—-in fact they are better than good, they are GREAT. Many will take some time. But one person, can do something or start something now.
Tyson Irby recently lost his battle by not being diagnosed. I have been in touch with Tyson’s Family and this was shared with me last night;
We heard a story today of a mother, who heard Tyson’s story, that took her daughter in because she was going to the bathroom more than normal. Her sugar level was 600, and she is type one. Maybe Tyson’s story saved her life.
Maybe? I think not…..I think absolutely. Reegan’s family has shared the same stories. So has Kycie’s Family. The word WILL IMPACT. This is a one-story initiative. One tells two, tells four, tells eight, and on and on and on. While the BIG STUFF is all being worked on, let’s learn from Tyson’s Family , Reegan’s Family and others——GET THE WORD OUT THERE however it takes. While the BIG STUFF is being worded on, the poster seen, the letter from the nurses office received CAN AND WILL change a life.
Much has been done, much will be done, BUT MUCH CAN BE DONE NOW. Have you ever heard those commercials that end with a line that states something like, “…..someone’s life may depend on it” ? In this initiative, that statement is absolutely true.
Please, for the new year, just “Don’t do Nothing, someone’s life may depend on it.”
I am a diabetes dad.
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