“Henry, my Brother, living with diabetes for 20 years, was my supporter in Rome 2006 at the Team Diabetes marathon, aka King Henry. Henry did participate in Kelowna 2008 and has signed up for Ottawa May 2010. Henry is busy raising awareness for World Diabetes Day at the senior Lodge, for the staff, where he volunteers. He received a letter from the Mayor of Guelph, offering greetings to Diabetes Champions, Volunteers and Donors, which he will read out. The Mayor acknowledges also the Association for their continued work for people with diabetes. There will be fundraising for the Canadian Diabetes Association, at the Lodge’s Fair. Henry is involved with his church. Gertrude, Henry’s wife is legally blind and requires help from him 24/7. He is my Hero, my Diabetes Champion.”

We are Diabetes Champions for many reasons:
….for our family members who have, or have had diabetes
…for the kids at Camp Banting who so bravely take on the challenge of living with type 1 diabetes
…for our many friends who live with type 1 diabetes
…for our many friends who live with type 2 diabetes
…for all the people we know who have lost loved ones TOO EARLY due to this disease
…for a brighter future without diabetes

Sue Schaefer is a Diabetes Nurse Educator working with the Aboriginal Health Team for the Vancouver Island Health Authority. During her “free time”, her alter ego is Mrs. Pudding – an eccentric, grandmotherly woman who loves to eat, hates to exercise and is initially shocked to learn she has diabetes. Mrs. Pudding doesn’t think it’s fair she has diabetes but gradually learns she has the skills and power to control her illness and improve her health. Sue Schaefer has performed Mrs. Pudding skits in over 50 cities across western Canada. The character has proven particularly effective in First Nations communities, where diabetes rates are high and story telling is a respected teaching tool. Mrs. Pudding makes everyone laugh as she drives home the HEAL (Healthy Eating, Active Living) message. She has recently developed a new skit called “positively stressing out” which helps people with diabetes learn to deal with all the stresses we all face in addition to the ones particular to diabetes. Mrs. Pudding gives the audience a positive way to live with diabetes. Sue is a generous and skilled teacher who is passionate about her message. We are blessed to have Sue on Vancouver Island!

“I am a person that has been living with type 1 diabetes for over thirty years. Chronic illness is, and always will be, an important part of my life. When I first read about the movement to create a United Nations Resolution on Diabetes I knew this was something I wanted to work to support, to do what I could to help make the Resolution a reality. I have always held the work of the United Nations in high esteem. The UN Resolution represents an important way to attract attention to diabetes and for continuing diabetes advocacy against a global epidemic.

In order to do what I can to make the United Nations Resolution on Diabetes a reality, I became directly involved in the grass roots advocacy for this Resolution. I was elated when the landmark United Nations Resolution on Diabetes was passed in December 2006. The United Nations represents hope and possibility for our world and the United Nations Resolution on Diabetes represents hope and possibility for diabetes.

November 14, 2007 was the First United Nations Observed World Diabetes Day. I had the honour of being one of two representatives of the Canadian Diabetes Association at the UN Headquarters for this special day. It was even more special to be there with my family. To commemorate the UN Resolution on Diabetes, I started a Resolution Torch of Diabetes Advocacy at the UN Headquarters. Each year on World Diabetes Day, I add artifacts to the living time capsule and transport the torch to different locations to pass on messages to help evolve diabetes knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. Fittingly, one of the first foundation artifacts came from Grant Maltman, Curator, Banting House Canadian National Historic Site.”

“I have been living with type 1 diabetes for more than 35 years. As an active adolescent, I always struggled with low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) during exercise and sports. After completing a bachelors’ degree in Kinesiology at the University of Guelph in Ontario, I began graduate work under the supervision of a pediatric exercise specialist, Dr. Oded Bar-Or, at McMaster University. My thesis work helped establish new guidelines on how to prevent exercise-associated low blood sugar in active children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. As a post-doctoral student at the University of Toronto in Physiology, I learned more about how stress and exercise influence diabetes control under the supervision of Dr. Mladen Vranic, who is a world renowned scientist studying diabetes metabolism since the late 1950s. Now, as a professor of integrative physiology in the Faculty of Health at York University in Toronto, along with my enthusiastic and gifted graduate students, I continue to study the effects of stress and exercise on both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We are able to do this though both support and funding from the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Canadian Institute for Health Research. Our studies include animal models of diabetes and humans with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes and more recently those with prediabetes. Remembering my own frustrations as a young athlete struggling with diabetes and sports, I recently developed an adolescent type 1 diabetes specialty sports camp where young athletes with diabetes can improve their skills at both diabetes management and their sport of interest (basketball, soccer or tennis). I firmly believe that learning from each other in an experiential setting helps improve diabetes management skills and motivation to be healthy in spite of our diabetes. Although it may seem like every day is surrounded by and about diabetes both personally and professionally, I would not want it any other way. Because of diabetes, I’ve made numerous life long friendships and I feel proud of my accomplishments and contributions in helping those with the disease live longer and healthier lives.”

Due to my husband’s diabetes, I quit my high-tech job in 2001 and worked part time job until 2004 in order to take care of him. Luckily, he has been progressing well, from insulin dependence to a point today where there are no more needles, with his diabetes being controlled by medication, food, and exercise. I’m glad that we will be able to celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary next year. Thanks to the Ottawa Chapter of Eastern Ontario Region of the Canadian Diabetes Association, I have had the opportunity to become better educated about diabetes while volunteering my time to our community. I am grateful for the opportunity to apply my passion and energy to help more people in our community as a volunteer. Knowing that I have been able to help someone to improve their lifestyle is one of the greatest rewards. My hope is that one day, everyone becomes more aware of the seriousness of this disease, and learns that by changing our lifestyle for the better, we can focus on prevention instead.

We are nominating our daughter Sydneigh as a Diabetes Champion. She was diagnosed with type 1, 23 months ago, 1 week prior to Christmas at the age of 6. In this short time she has proven over and over again that nothing is going to stop her. She lives an active full life, including 2 major spots activities, many friends at school, and even sleep overs with her friends. Just weeks after she was diagnosed, she was giving herself her own insulin shots (upon her own doing), in May of this year she went on an insulin pump, that has changed her life, she is more free to do what she wants and just be a kid. She is the one who recognizes her lows and highs and supports us when we feel that a wall has been hit. She has been a true champion in her school , with her friends, her parents, and all others in her life. Letting us all know that diabetes is just a speed bump in life and not a brick wall. She is our hero.

“I am a Diabetes Champion because I have lived with type 1 diabetes for the last 45 years. I was diagnosed at 4 years of age and was told there would be a cure in 5 to 10 years. I’m still waiting. I have erratic blood sugars despite my excellent skills, abilities and knowledge. The duration of such a powerful disease has resulted in many complications.”

My Mom is a Diabetes Champion because she has lived almost almost 60 years with type 1 diabetes!

“Approximately 30 years ago, I thought I had menopausal madness (like my mother). I started liking ice cubes to such a degree my husband bought me an ice making fridge and I took ice to work, put cubes in my coffee cup and munched all day. I finally confessed this to my gynecologist who said calmly, is there any diabetes in your family? My answer was “yes my father”. Even so I knew little about the disease as it was treated hush hush. Of course the results were that I had type 2 diabetes and yes, I was overweight and living a sedentary life.

I am a proud member of the International Association of Lions Clubs and during one meeting we had a visit from the Branch Coordinator of Brandon CDA, asking if our Lions Club would do a residential campaign of Canadian Forces Base Shilo, villages of Sprucewood, Douglas and the rural homes in between. I was the only female member of our club and, of course the only member living with diabetes so I was elected to chair the campaign. It was very difficult to get men out canvassing door to door. I came up with the idea of having a 2 hour blitz – come in even if your route wasn’t finished. I canvassed my area the night before the blitz and I made supper for the canvassers when they returned. This worked way better than giving them a book, telling them to canvas within a set period of time. For 15 years – this has worked well for us.

I was then invited to join the Lions Cabinet of District 5M13 (approximately half of Manitoba.) I was appointed Diabetes Awareness Chairperson and have held the position with the exception of the year 1999/2000 when I served as the first female District Governor. My special project was Diabetes and I collected money from the Clubs as I visited them. I oversee the Cavalcade for Diabetes which our District hosts each year – it’s a parade hosted in the town of one of our clubs and the sole purpose is to raise money for Camp Briardale.

I have also the honour of serving as the ManitobaNW Ontario Representative on the Lions/CDA National Liaison Committee. Our purpose is to come up with Fund Raising ideas – this year we are promoting a Tag Day on World Diabetes Day.

I write articles in our Lion Newspaper on Diabetes and what’s going on. I don’t want anyone to be in the dark about the disease as I was. My Dad died after having two toes amputated – I feel his ignorance of the disease was the root cause and I am determined to educate the dickens out of my family and anyone else who will listen. I am now 70 and today my doctor told me she is very happy with my A1C – me too!”