We all have seen how insanely popular the Ice Bucket Challenge has
become. Stories of how much money ALS has raised since this went viral
versus how much money it had raised in previous years are astounding.
What is equally moving is the stories of families touched by ALS. I
dare you to watch any of them without a box of Kleenex.
Last week on the Diabetes Advocacy Facebook page, I shared with you Moira McCarthy’s thoughts on this phenomenon and whether diabetes should be doing something similar. Reading about how ALS had touched her family brought tears to my eyes and I was so glad that my son “only has diabetes”.
I have not watched many of the ice bucket videos. I have seen a few
that have auto-started on my Facebook feed but for the most part I
simply have said “I hope that they are donating” and “Better them than
me but it is for a good cause.” There are a few from friends who state
that they have a personal connections to ALS that I do make sure that I watch
.
Maybe that is why I played this next video. It was from a Facebook
Friend who had a child with diabetes who said that ALS had come to
call. I was curious. Would it be her father? Grandmother? I was sure
that it would be sad but I had been following the many blessings in
their lives. They had recently moved across the country into a dream
house. They had enjoyed an amazing summer spent traveling throughout
this great country of ours. Life was very good for them, wasn’t it?
After listening to her tell her family’s story, well let’s just say that I was again left very grateful that all my son had to deal with was diabetes.
I know that diabetes kills. I know that diabetes is serious. I know
that things can change in the blink of an eye. In the past month we
have seen depression kill Robin Williams. We have seen countless
stories of how ALS has impacted and destroyed lives. I have seen a
family devastated when a father tried to save his drowning daughter only
to be killed instead. Life and death happen. We deal with the cards
that we are dealt but some of us have greater challenges to face than
others.
In a blink of an eye it could be worse–so much worse. Diabetes can be
cruel but life with diabetes is getting better. Highs are still brutal
in their destruction of the body. Lows are still deadly especially when
they happen at night or when a person with diabetes is alone. There is
hope however. Technology has created major changes.
We have the bionic and artificial pancreas projects. We have CGMs, rapid insulin, and smart pumps. We have apps to count carbs and apps to get us out of trouble. We have a wonderful community of people living with diabetes who get it
and support us every day. Diabetes sucks but after seeing what others
live with…well I will take diabetes with a bucket of gratitude.
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