There's a good chance you or someone you know is living with Diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 25 million Americans have diabetes, although about 7 million don't know it. I'm very proud that our station is supporting a local woman who's helping other women and families learn more about the disease and how to live a a full and healthy life. Her name is Brandy Barnes and two years ago, she reached out to me to tell me about the non-profit support group she had started based on our own concerns and feelings of isolation when she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes as a teenager. It's called DiabetesSisters and focuses on women with diabetes and the specific health issues and complications they face throughout their lives (pregnancy, menopause, etc.). Brandy provided all kinds of information and resources along with on-line peer support. Now, her non-profit organizes face-to-face support groups in communities all over the world. For the third year in a row, she's organized a "Weekend for Women" Conference with speakers and education sessions and socializing for women with diabetes. This year's event also offer support for spouses and families. The conference wraps up with a Diabetes Awarness Walk. It's Sunday, May 20th at 8am in Downtown Raleigh (starts at the Raleigh Convention Center on Salisbury Street). The walk is free and open to the public, although donations are welcome along with teams who raise money to support DiabetesSisters. In fact, the walk has the support of Celebrity Chef Paula Deen, who recently announced she has diabetes. Deen has prepared special diabetes friendly recipe cards for those who register for the walk. ABC11 is a proud sponsor of this year's walk. I hope you'll check it out and look for people wearing orange shirts. Brandy wants orange to become the official color for women with diabetes. She's done so much in such a short period of time to educate and empower women about diabetes. We can all learn from her example and her passion. You can learn more about DiabetesSisters by watching Heart of Carolina Perspectives.
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