I am a Diabetes Champion because my Father died from complications of type 2 diabetes and my younger brother has had type 2 diabetes since he was in his late 30s. My Grandmother and her Mother both had type 2 diabetes as well. My Father had his first heart attack when I was 16 years old after having had diabetes for 15 years. He recovered from that scare but went on to have a major stroke 10 years later. He survived the stroke but just barely and lived the next 5 years in a long term care facility He could not walk or talk for those 5 years and it was heart breaking for all his family and friends to see him like that. We now know that his premature passing could have been prevented. My children could have known their grandfather if only we knew then what we know now.
When Lisa was asked why she is a Diabetes Champion, she said:  “As a pharmacist I see many patients with type 2 diabetes. I feel passionate about helping them so that their family does not have to experience the pain and suffering that my Father and his family went through. In the last 20 years there have been many new medications to help prevent the long term complications of diabetes that were not available when my Father needed them.. I try very diligently to inform every person I come in contact with about the epidemic of diabetes that is upon us. I also do as much outreach and education as is possible through my pharmacy to give people the knowledge they need to manage their own diabetes or to help someone they know who has diabetes.”