It’s not often I voice an opinion on anything political. In fact, I never do. The largest reason for my staying out of the political arena is my job as a reporter and a journalist. But today, I share something with you that is political. But more importantly, it’s personal. I signed my name to a letter recently sent to President Barack Obama requesting his attendence to the United Nations High Level Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases in September. Currently, he is not planning to attend.

Diabetes is a non-communicable disease. When combined with the other three leading NCOs (including cancer, heart disease and chronic respiratory disease), it kills more people worldwide than anything else. The scope of the reality of that last sentence is overwhelming.

Attending this summit is more than a political resposibility, it’s a social responsibility. It’s personal to me, and it should be personal to you! This is about my future and the future of my family. This is about my friend’s 5-year-old child who has type 1 diabetes. This is about my late grandfather who lived many years with type 2 diabetes. This is about human beings around the world who don’t have access to medicines, to insulin, to syringes or to doctors. This is about life and death.

So here I am, asking for a political favor. Will you join me and my friends as we sincerely ask for the president’s support of this summit. It’s vital to my future. And truthfully, it’s vital to yours.

You’ll be hearing more from me regarding this summit as well as the International Diabetes Federation’s efforts with Life for a Child, but in the meantime, please help!

You can fill out a postcard to the president asking him to take this global problem seriously. All you have to do is go to the IDF’s website and sign an “O is for Outrage” postcard. They’ll even send it for you! You can write your own or choose a pre-written message.