Salute to Ky

If you know me, you know that I have lots of connections to diabetes.  Some people are really turned off by that.  I guess they are afraid that if they acknowledge diabetes, they make themselves more vulnerable to it.  I wish it were that simple.  It grabbed my family long before I was born, by taking my grandfather when my mom was 13.  

Then, many years later, it was diagnosed in my little brother when he was ten.  It was pretty cruel to him and finally took his life in 2001.  I walked in many walk-a-thons  for him when I was young.  When he was diagnosed in 1970, we were told that a cure was ten years away. 

Diabetes grabbed me in 1982 when I was 26.  It was the same type of diabetes, Juvenile Onset, but it had allowed me a few extra years before it changed my life.

If that wasn't enough punishment, diabetes visited my family again when my three-year old daughter was diagnosed.    She has made the best of it all and although she cannot ever remember a time when she didn't have diabetes, I can.  I wish she could enjoy the carefree joy of eating food for the taste, not for the carb count.  

Rant over.

Ky has formed a team to walk in a Diabetes Walk A Thon in Roanoke, VA this weekend.  She has a site for information and donations at:

http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87177414

Okay, blogger wouldn't let me post it without retyping it all, so if that isn't right, please let me know.    I  hope you'll visit this page and encourage Ky on her walk or, better yet, donate!!

Thanks!