Monday 12 November 2007

United Nations World Diabetes Day

Members of the MEDIA click HERE.

Education for Everyone:
Watch this shocking "World Diabetes Day" video HERE.
(while you watch it 80 more people will have developed diabetes, one of them is a child)

Did you know?

That in the beginning, years ago, getting diabetes was a fate worse than HIV/AIDS? 2 weeks. Dead. (Thanks to two Canadian Doctors, Banting & Best, people who live with diabetes can manage their disease - but! The complications are horrific and the cost to our health care system worldwide is staggering! In 2007, the world will spend an estimated 215-375 billion USD to care for diabetes and its complications. If nothing is done over the next 20 years, the figure will rise to between 234 billion and 411 billion USD.)
Around the world if diabetes is left untreated it has a 100% death rate.

Every ten seconds someone dies from diabetes related causes and over 246 million people now have diabetes worldwide, a figure that is set to escalate to 380 million in the next generation if action is not taken now. Over 3.5 million people die of diabetes-related causes every year. The disease is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and amputation.

The World Diabetes Day Resolution was the first goal of an ambitious campaign led by the International Diabetes Federation. This is the first time a non-communicable disease has been recognized in such a way; it is an acknowledgement of the seriousness of a disease that is predicted to contribute to 6% of the world’s mortality in 2007.

Have I told you yet?

That my daughter has diabetes. How my heart aches for a cure. We can do it, right? November 14th is United Nations World Diabetes Day.
The photo was taken the year she was diagnosed. 18 years ago. So sweet and perfect body back then - oh and the Madonna pin she would never take off - she loves to sing and dance even today! (You can click on the photo to enlarge - it's all smudged with chocolate or something, but you'll see it better!)
To do nothing is not an option. Adequate health care is a human right for all mankind.
No child should die of diabetes.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

A wonderful post. Thank you for highlighting this. A couple of people near and dear to me are battling with this....

Anonymous said...

Wow, what an interesting post! I never think about children having diabetes. Thanks for sharing this info!

Melissa

Elle Jay Bee said...

Diabetes is indeed a very frightening disease for a child...I am sorry your daughter has this cross to bear.

She is positively adorable in that photo, and I imagine, very beautiful today. Is she the blonde girl in some of your photography (I'm thinking of the Marilyn shots)?

Linda

LIBERTY POST EDITOR said...

Thank you for all your comments. Yes Linda, she is the 'Marilyn' you are thinking about. I am really amazed at all the countries participating in this event and I can't wait to see all the pics of the 'blue' landmarks. Big day tomorrow in NYC and around the world.