#320: Making a Difference, One Step at a Time

This is the text of a letter I'm sending out today... Pennsy

I hope you will consider sponsoring me on June 4, 2011, when I am participating in the American Diabetes Association’s signature fundraising walk, Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes. Working together, we can make more of a difference than any of us can imagine.

When they told me I had cancer, I was terrified. “What are we going to do? How can I afford to stop working? Who is there out there who can help us to get through this?”

All through our battle, we were inspired and encouraged by the loving people who offered their prayers, company, and financial help. A situation that seemed hopeless at first, turned into a chance for us to realize just how much we can help one another when we join together. Today I’m cancer free and getting back on my feet. With God’s help, and the generosity of the people who helped us, I am living a miracle. It’s hard for me to believe that a year ago, I could barely walk at all.

Beating cancer was hard, but I’m asking you to join me to help raise dollars for the fight against another killer that affects my family. Some of you may know that Mrs. P has what Kentuckians call “the sugar”. But living with diabetes is anything but sweet. People with diabetes have increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Diabetes is a leading cause of kidney failure, nervous system disease, and nontraumatic lower-limb amputation. How widespread a threat is diabetes? According to the web site of the American Diabetes Association:

·         25.8 million Americans, 8.3% of the population have diabetes.

·         In 2010, 1.9 million new cases of diabetes in people aged 20 and older were diagnosed.

·         26.9% of all Americans aged 65 or older have diabetes.

·         In 2007, diabetes was listed as the underlying cause on 71,382 death certificates, and was listed as a contributing factor on an additional 160,022. In that single year, diabetes contributed to 231,404 deaths in our country.

The situation seems too big for any of us to do anything about, doesn’t it? Well that’s how cancer felt to my family and me. But people who cared shared the work and helped to save my life.

Please work together with me to help stop diabetes from taking any more of the people we love. There’s not much any one of us can do, but together, we can make a difference in more lives than we will ever know. Just click the “Support My Walk” badge to go to my personal Step Out page where you can learn more about diabetes, the Step Out event, and make a contribution.

Peace,

Pennsy

And if you want to walk with me and a couple thousand of my closest friends, go to the Step Out web site where you can register and get started!