Walk to Cure Diabetes: Why I Walk
My name is Debbie Lattuga and this year, I’ll be taking part in JDRF’s Walk to Cure Diabetes On March 20, 2010 in Sarasota, Florida. The name of my team is Grace’s Aces in honor of my niece Grace (photo at left). In 2010, I will be walking along with one-half million other walkers across the country, as we try to reach our goal of raising $100 million.
Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes, is a devastating disease that affects millions of people, a large and growing percentage of them children. My niece, Grace, was diagnosed on January 26 2009 and she was 7 years old. I am walking for her. Her family has undergone significant changes since her diagnosis. Her blood sugar must be checked 7 to 10 times a day. And she must get at least 3 insulin shots a day.
Most Type 1 diabetics have to change their diet and eat healthier foods. Luckily my sister never served a lot of junk food so their diet didn’t drastically change. But they do have to measure or weigh the carbohydrates and make sure that enough protein and fat are included at meals to balance the carbohydrates.
So it’s a challenge for Grace to go to birthday parties and barbecues. If she’s going to have cake or potato chips, she has to make sure that her insulin is adjusted to accommodate these additional carbohydrates. My sister travels with a carbohydrate manual, refrigerated insulin, extra syringes, and orange juice in case Grace’s blood sugar gets too low. And my sister has become an educator on diabetes. She shares her knowlege with Grace’s teachers, soccer coach, friends and family.
But I don’t want you to get the idea that Grace’s life is miserable. She’s a happy, well adjusted 8 year old girl. Through the educational efforts of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Grace and her family have the knowlege to manage her disease. She still plays soccer and swims on a swim team. But she will have this disease for the rest of her life, unless we can manage to find a cure.
And there is some good news, though. For the first time, scientists are predicting that we CAN expect to see a cure well within our lifetime!
So that is why I decided to Walk to Cure Diabetes. I’ve been a runner for a number of years and participated in various runs and walks for charity. I encourage you to get out there and walk for your cause. It’s a wonderful experience that can include family and friends. I think now is the time for us to do our part and help those around us. Scientist have found that any act of kindness boosts the immune system and releases the ‘feel good’ hormone. So get out there and feel good while doing good!
And charity walks are fun. Most charities have huge events based around their run or walk. Many times there are vendors, entertainment and food available. The atmosphere is like a block party or festival. What a great way to spend time with your family and friends and do something good for someone else!
About the Author: Debbie Lattuga is a running enthusiast encouraging people to uplevel their fitness by running or walking. She loves to run with a heart rate monitor watch and has seen her race times drop and fitness increase since she started using one. Check out her blog at Heart Rate Monitor Watch. She helps people find the perfect heart rate monitor watch for them.
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