Be Part of the Cure.
(And no, this doesn't mean you have to become Robert Smith.)
With more than two decades of diabetes clocked in, my faith in a cure has been shaken with every diabetes anniversary. Each September, I realize that more has been done to improve the quality of life for people with diabetes, but little has been done in giving us the hope that a cure - a real cure - is possible in our lifetime.
Except last year, when I made a trip to Florida to visit the Diabetes Research Institute, my hope was reignited. The Diabetes Research Institute is functioning solely to provide research for a cure for diabetes. And I have cautious hope that they will be the ones to make great strides in curing type 1 diabetes. If not for me, then for the generation after me.
Which is why I am part of The Cure this month for Diabetes Month. I made a small donation to the DRI and uploaded my photo to the Cure collage. (You can find me in the bottom left hand corner of that sassy little E there.)
Camillo Ricordi, Scientific Director and Chief Academic Officer of the University of Miami Diabetes Research Institute, stated in a recent interview on the Huffington Post, "I started this work to cure diabetes. My goal has not changed. I will keep working until I get the job done."
I can get on board with that. Be part of the Cure.
Comments
*deep sigh*
This has been on my mind a lot lately. Joe mentioned it the other day...the "C" word. I never even knew that he thought about it. He hopes that maybe Santa can do it. UGH.
Great project. I will jump on board. Thanks for posting.
Posted by: Reyna Maher | November 4, 2010 08:36 AM
Caleb in the "R" waving to you all. :)
Posted by: Lorraine Sisto | November 4, 2010 08:37 AM
Great idea - tried to put A on but Finland wasn't on the list of countries, when it came to donate! Strange as Finland has one of the highest incidences of type 1 diabetes in children in the world....
Posted by: Amanda | November 4, 2010 09:26 AM
Donation made!! Research is so important. I hope to see a cure in my lifetime for all type 1 diabetics. They better hurry up!
K's Mom
Posted by: Anonymous | November 4, 2010 10:16 AM
Me too - I'm in the "R"!
Posted by: val | November 4, 2010 12:15 PM
I read your blog every day. I ran across this on another site I read and wanted to share this page -
http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=lets_help_stop_diabetes_during_american_diabetes_month from DailySpark.com.
Posted by: Margi | November 4, 2010 02:31 PM
Thank you for pointing this out Kerri. Half of my picture is in the bottom of the C (but all of me is there).
Posted by: Briley | November 4, 2010 03:05 PM
We are in the "R"....thank you DRI for giving us hope!
Posted by: Lisa Treese | November 4, 2010 04:18 PM
hmm maybe someday
Posted by: tanya haddix | November 4, 2010 04:44 PM
Can you share your thoughts on what specifically about the DRI gives you the cautious hope that they will be the ones making great strides towards a real cure? I have been frustrated lately trying to understand/ evaluate all the research worldwide and trying to determine who if anyone is close to an actual ( not technological cure) I hope you are correct!
Posted by: Lisa | November 4, 2010 11:24 PM
It's all about "MONEY!!" The Pharm R/X companies do NOT want us to have a cure!! Ahemmm... As it hurts their bottom-dollar profits!! My Endo. Doc told me this.... as well as ~ "Don't you find it strange that all the major Diabetic break-throughs come from small European countries.... that the US can buy, and sell, one-million times over. This is not by chance. Greed in this country killed that!!!
Posted by: anybody | November 5, 2010 04:06 AM
Kerri,
I have high hopes that they will find a cure, too. I see a great endo at Georgetown and he is part of a study that plans to take individual stem cells from one's own body, convert them to embryonic cells, then re-convert/grow them into whatever you need (in our case, a pancreas that doesn't suck). The study is in its early stages (ethics) but it has amazing potential. The risk of rejection is almost 0 because the cells originate inside the person they're going into after. Anyway, just thought I'd share.
I love your blog!
Posted by: Jenn | November 5, 2010 07:19 PM
Thanks for helping to spread the word about this Kerri.
Posted by: Scott K. Johnson | November 8, 2010 11:39 PM