My family and I recently did a walk to raise money for research relating to Type 1/ Juvenile Diabetes. This was positive- I felt good about raising money and I was proud that after all this time, I'm not sooo jaded that I don't believe a cure isn't out there.
However, I had a different annoyance with the walk. At the kickoff, there were a lot of guest speakers and all of them (except for one teenager) were small children. Yes, I am fully aware that their stories of being four and having to give multiple shots daily are the stories that move people to donate. Who wants a small child to suffer throught this disease? Certainly not me. But, there was a point where I was getting the "warning" glances from my more patient husband as I was becoming more tweaked with the speakers. Everything focused on the children. THAT is a problem with awareness of this disease--- yes, it is Juvenile Diabetes, BUT it doesn't just affect children.
There was the more adventuresome voice in my head urging me to grab the microphone to say "Yes, this little girl was diagnosed a year ago and it's dreadful that she has to give four shots a day and watch what she eats........ BUT, I've been doing this for over 27 years. Everyone here has to realize that the small children we're listening to here today to raise awareness will become ADULTS some day...... stuck with the same disease." However, I restrained from making a speech I wasn't asked to do, which was probably good.
This is something to consider. I was diagnosed at five, but I know a ton of people that have been diagnosed at eighteen, twenty five and so on with Juvenile Diabetes.
I guess this is why I'm more prone to calling it Type 1 Diabetes :)
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