Sometimes, being a diabetes advocate can take its toll. There are times when I don’t want to post a blog and times when I don’t want to go to committee meetings. There are moments when I don’t feel quite so cheerful about advocacy and outreach because I’d rather hide from diabetes. But yesterday wasn’t one of those days. Yesterday was a refreshing motivator and a reminder of why I advocate and why it matters.
The day started at the crack of dawn before the roosters were even crowing. (I’m not exaggerating — roosters don’t crow at 4 a.m.) I groggily drove up Monte Sano mountain where I met @mod4acure and Squeakers at one of our local TV stations. We did a four minute interview about type 1 diabetes and the World Diabetes Day Expo scheduled for that evening.
After a Starbucks run for a necessary Americano, (again, no exaggeration. It was required.) I headed into the office. One of my colleagues remembered it was World Diabetes Day and wore a blue shirt. It meant the world to me, and then she said her husband was wearing a blue shirt, too. (Great friends, right?) As the work day ended, I headed to Huntsville Hospital where the expo was to be held. I walked in to find a sea of blue, and I felt at home immediately. The smile on my face didn’t disappear the rest of the night.
Before long, some of my favorite little half-pints showed up, making me feel loved with hugs and squeals of excitement. The expo was a success, and we even drew a few new families into our Hot Shots Family. There were more adults in attendance than any previous event, and I was thrilled for that. Cyclist Jerry Willis from Team Type 1 was the featured speaker, and he was an instant hit with the kiddos as he made his rounds throughout the room. He even offered to buy one of Myabetic’s heart-shaped bags from a 6-year-old girl for $10. She turned him down.
We’ve been fortunate to have four Team Type 1 cyclists in Huntsville before, but this was my first interaction, and I was impressed. Jerry was fantastic, and everyone seemed to take something away from what he shared. He was real and honest and talked candidly about what life was like as a competitive cyclist with type 1 diabetes. He shared stories from the road and had the audience in fits of laughter more than once. He was charismatic and captivated the audience — adults and children alike. He shared advice on keeping numbers in range while cycling and the tricks the team uses on the road. He even admitted when his numbers crash, it’s hard to recover and the race is often over. So it seems Team Type 1 cyclists are just like you and me — they battle lows and highs just like the rest of us. (Which kills my theory about them being super hero cyclists.)
I was already aware of Team Type 1’s reputation based on its mission, friends’ accounts and through my own research. But to see an athlete of that calibur joking with an 8-year-old on the child’s level was special. He’s a role model, and a great one at that. Jerry, along with the rest of Team Type 1, is a walking testiment that diabetes is not a kill joy or a dream crusher. You truly can accomplish anything you set your mind to with hard work, dedication and patience. (And he may have inadvertently motivated me to continue riding even though it’s getting colder.)
But as wonderful as the evening was, and as much as I love Hot Shots events, the highlight of the day had nothing to do with the expo or with Huntsville… Last Thursday, a friend (who happens to be a Bama fan) tweeted a link that Alabama was planning to light Denny Chimes blue on World Diabetes Day. As much as I loathe hate despise strongly dislike Alabama, I had to give it to them on this one… I was impressed. But that quickly faded, turning into jealousy. (I’m not proud of that emotion, but it is what it is.)
I thought back to my time at Auburn, and I began scouring the University’s website looking for email addresses of old contacts or anyone with a title I thought was important. After putting together a list, I drafted an email explaining World Diabetes Day and requesting Auburn light the bell tower at Samford Hall blue on Monday night. (And I may have mentioned that our rival was lighting something blue, too. I can’t really remember.) 😉 Thursday, I emailed it to the president and to everyone else I’d managed to add to my list of important people. After hearing nothing in regard to my email, I’d given up hope.
But about 10 minutes before the expo started, I got an email from Dr. Ainsley Carry, the vice president of student affairs at Auburn. (And probably the only person I hadn’t emailed.) He said in the short amount of time facilities had to prepare, they’d managed to light one of the towers blue and were working on the other. By the time my friends made it to campus to take pictures for me, both towers of Samford glowed a bright blue. I was touched and honored by the gesture, trying to push back the lump suddenly rising in my throat. I knew the towers weren’t lit for me personally, but for a world full of people with diabetes. (Which happens to include football legend Kendall Simmons and Team Type 1 cyclist and co-founder Joe Eldridge — both Auburn grads.) So along with the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and the Tokyo Tower, Samford Hall shined a glorious blue Monday night, and I couldn’t have been prouder of my alma mater. (And maybe, just maybe, I was proud of Alabama, too.)
My friend Sara has a saying, “Go for the No!” If you want something and ask, the worst that can happen is being told no. If you don’t ask, then it’s a guaranteed no. So “go for the no” and when you get a yes, be surprised. I went for the no, and I got the yes! War Eagle!
Read a post from Tuesday’s War Eagle Reader regarding Samford Hall going blue for World Diabetes Day by clicking here. To see what other monuments were lit blue around the world, click here. And lastly, major thanks to two of my best girlfriends in the world for taking pictures for me. Have I mentioned how much I love Sam and Kate Allbrook? They rock!