NATIONAL DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH

For those of you who don't know, the month of November is National Diabetes Awareness Month.  Diabetes is a disease that has directly effected my family; my brother was diagnosed at age 7 as Type I.

My bro, Josh and I.  Vietnam, February 2011. 

Nearly 26 million children and adults in America are living with diabetes and another 79 million are at high risk for developing Type II diabetes.  This disease is taking a devastating physical, emotional and financial toll on our country.  Most Americans don't consider diabetes as a serious matter..well wake up people, it is!!!!!

Here are some stats from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

*Every 17 seconds, someone is diagnosed with diabetes

*Diabetes kills more people each year than breast cancer and AIDS combined

*Recent estimates project that as many as 1 in 3 American adults will have diabetes in 2050 unless we take the necessary steps to find a cure for Diabetes.

(facts and stats from http://www.diabetes.org/)

Years after my brother was diagnosed, my mom and her close friends started a group called Friends United for Juvenile Diabetes Research.  

Their goal is to raise awareness/educate our communities about Diabetes and raise money for research   Money raised from Friends United helps fund research at Kolver Diabetes Center, University of Chicago, Mayo Clinic, Pancreas & Islet Transplant Program at University of Chicago, Harvard Medical School, Diabetes Research Institute at University of Miami and many more research centers/universities/hospitals.  

If you are interested in joining the Friends United team or Junior Board, please contact us here.  Please join this local charity that was formed by love and devotion to help cure this disease.

Watch a Friends United video here!

Visit http://friends-united.org/ to learn more about Diabetes and what FU is all about!

LIVE WELL.  LIVE PURE.

sami