Today, the first Friday of February, is national "Wear Red" day in honor (or observance) of Women's Heart Health Awareness, as spearheaded by the "Go Red for Women" campaign. So of course I will be wearing red to work and I've been handing out Red Dress pins.

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Once you get past the congestion of sheer numbers and the mix of colors, designs, and graphic techniques, there's one thing that stands out on every team shirt at the Seaside Heights, NJ JDRF Walk: cure. It's not just because the event is called the Walk to Cure Diabetes (emphasis mine), or because insulin is "not a cure" for autoimmune diabetes. It's not because parents are struggling to pay for their children's pumps and CGMs, or because adversity breeds strength.

The reason we see the word cure is same reason we see another word on team names and slogans, and that word is hope.

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So I’m the designated research information volunteer for the Mid-Jersey chapter of JDRF. But, “if I’m being perfectly honest,” as Simon Cowell would say, I haven’t done a very good job at it at all. I just haven’t had the time to sift through the many emails I receive regarding the many diabetes studies going on around the world that are funded by JDRF.

It’s strange. You’d think that the more clinical trials being conducted would make one more hopeful for a cure. Somehow it has an opposite effect on me. As the number of studies increase, I feel a sense of cynicism growing. Too many claims of progress. Too many potential cures. (READ MORE)

In my last post, I posed the question of why diabetes has not been as high in the general public's awareness as breast cancer, AIDS, or even the Iranian election earlier this year. I left off quoting Christopher Thomas of Diabetic Rockstar, saying "we can't even decide on a color [to represent diabetes awareness]."

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An old adage suggests there is strength in numbers.

Not the numbers of our ABCs -- although there is strength in that knowledge -- but the strength of many people, standing together, for the same cause.

Many people making the same choice made Jesse Ventura -- a third-party candidate -- governor of Minnesota, and Abraham Lincoln -- also a third-party candidate -- President of the United States.

Many people speaking out on television and in the media made everyone aware of AIDS and of Breast Cancer -- even though those two diseases kill and disable far fewer people than heart disease and diabetes.

Why is it, then, that hundreds (thousands?) of Twitter users turned their avatars red for World AIDS day, or green to support the protesters after the Iranian election, but not blue to support World Diabetes Day?

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It's that time of year again...fundraising! So I've written my letter. And here it is, for the world to see!

Dear______,

 On March 3rd, 1993, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I was 4 years old. It’s been over sixteen years since that day. I’ve struggled, grown, and I’ve gained and lost precious moments from this disease.

 In October of 2007, my dad was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as well. To this day, hearing that he had this dreadful disease like me has been one of the worst days of my life. Now, it isn’t just about my own diabetes, my risk of complications, or my lows and highs with this disease. It’s about my dad’s A1c, the genetic risks of diabetes, and the worry that comes with having a diabetic loved one.

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