Giving Month at Sound Styles, November 2018 
National Awareness
Do you know that November is National Diabetes Awareness month? And that World Diabetes Day occurs annually on November 14 in honor of the birthday of Dr. Frederick Banting who co-discovered insulin in 1921? In the US alone 1.2 million people have diabetes. It is a slow, steady, insidious disease which damages any and all parts of the body.
The theme for World Diabetes Day in 2018-19 is “Family and Diabetes”. My brother Glen is the one highlighted.
Diabetes is Personal
This month is especially important to me this year as my brother Glen just had his second leg amputated due to complications from Type 1 Diabetes that was discovered when he was just 11. I am 14 months younger than Glen and I often think that it could have been me with diabetes instead of him. Imagine being an 11 year old boy having twice daily injections in his arm or stomach. Come Halloween he’d trick or treat and sell his candy to my other three brothers and me if he didn’t succumb to eating it himself (which he also did). Then he would be sick, ashamed and angry at himself.
Glen would tell you that back in the early days he didn’t have the medical tools to properly control the disease. Thanks to medical research and great advancements, diabetes today is easier to manage. Glen is actually alive today due to transplant technology. In March of 2000 he received a kidney-pancreas transplant.
Then there is the psychological side. Glen has experienced a lot of bodily damage and depression, yet he has survived and has worked hard to come to better terms with diabetes and it’s effects both physically and psychologically. After 5 decades of being diabetic Glen has learned that relationships, proper attitude and perspective are among the most meaningful things in life. Developing such inner qualities has made it easier for him to accept his physical disabilities.
“My brother is a truly amazing guy. Through his medical struggles he has developed such a depth of character. We’ve shared many meaningful conversations together. He is simply the best listener I know.”
Sound Styles Gives
So, while there is tons of media coverage used to raise awareness this month, one social media campaign, Project Blue November, shares a meme each day of the month to raise awareness. In conjunction, we at Sound Styles will donate a buck to the ADA any time you purchase something blue during November.
Also, Glen is on permanent disability, and below the knee amputations are very costly surgery. Follow up rehab and eventually a new prosthetic will also be expensive. You can click here for his Go Fund Me account and help Glen pay his medical bills. Any amount helps.
Thank you for reading this rather long post. The subject is just so near and dear to me.
Blessings,
Jenny
Additional sources for information about diabetes and opportunities to contribute:
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