Type One Trio: Why Awareness?

We have reached the middle of November- Diabetes Awareness Month!

Though I have not done a good job of daily keeping up with different challenges, posts, activities, etc- I know we have had an awesome month helping raise awareness!

(Hannah/Daniel's Classmates&Teachers creating the "Blue Circle")

I would like to say a BIG "Thank You" to all of my FB friends, college buddies, and Daniel and Hannah's school friends for showing so much support! It has been incredible! I love it when I see this icon...

- scattered throughout thousands of FB Profile Pictures. :) It is truly awesome to see how many participated in the Thunderclap Campaign by JDRF. Through it, 2,555,000 people have been reached via social networking!

All this to leads me to a surprising yet frequently asked question: Why raise awareness?

So the first thing that comes to my mind when asked this question is... "Why not!?" But (obviously) the people asking this question need more than a question in return. So here it is:

1) Awareness is Support

The whole reason people are out there trying to spread awareness is to show their support for those fighting this disease! Actions go beyond words. It's not a matter of only saying something, it's a matter of doing something in order to raise awareness for those that don't understand. Why is this important? Because the more people that understand, the better the chance of raising support for a cure. I understand, I have done the research and I hate even addressing this topic. Logically, a cure is about 2 life-times out. But hey, it's the 21st century, and Fredrick Banting discovered insulin when everyone said it was impossible!! Don't give up quiet yet. ;)

2) Awareness is Safety

A misdiagnosis for someone that really has T1D can be huge. Raising awareness could be a deciding factor that might save someone's life! Misdiagnoses and incorrect information can be big factors for a case of Type One Diabetes. Not only this, but raising awareness is creating a "safety net" for T1s! Think about it: if you found a person passed out on the ground and saw that they had a diabetic ID, insulin pump, or glucose (blood sugar) meter - you would have a huge advantage over someone who has never heard of Type One Diabetes. (I assume you have read/ watched the information displayed throughout this blog) My point is this: being silent about T1D doesn't improve safety. Why wouldn't you want to encourage protection for people with T1?

3) Awareness is Hope

For those who have just chosen to be pessimistic about "Diabetes Awareness," that's your choice. Just don't let your negative viewpoint be the pin that bursts the bubble of hope to which many still hold. Many special people have taken their time to do some pretty incredible things for diabetes awareness- and that's awesome! Let's keep this energy flowing and keep spreading awareness!

To show some of these efforts, here are a few photos from across the globe...