Honored At The JDRF Gala

I wanted to include my parents and used them as examples of how medicine has advanced. They didn’t know I’d ask them to stand.

I want to write about last night. Indulge me. There’s no graceful way to do this.

Last night was the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s annual gala. It was held at the carousel at New Haven’s Lighthouse Park. The gala is one of the ways JDRF raises money for research. As altruistic as I’d like to be under our system money buys research.

Because of my eighteen plus years of working for JDRF they decided to present me with their “Dream Award.”

It was an incredible honor. My parents came up from Florida. My friend Peter took the train up from New Jersey. Our neighbors came. They all joined Helaine and me.

JDRF invited Dr. Mel to present me with my award which was a nice surprise. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro came to our table to said hello to my folks.

For the past few years I’ve been the emcee at this event. I was again last night. This is like the Hair Club for Men president being president and a client, right?

I’ve spoken on behalf of JDRF before so I knew what I was going to say and worked without a script. I wanted to include my parents and used them as examples of how medicine has advanced. They didn’t know I’d ask them to stand.

My mom is a cancer survivor. My dad has had bypass surgery and a corotid endarterectomy (I had to look up that term). When their parents were the same age those procedures didn’t exist. My parents are survivors by virtue of a single generation!

My point is though there is no cure for diabetes yet it’s not time to give up. Breakthroughs happen. Science advances. Lives are saved.

Right now there are too many beautiful children and happy families whose lives are turned upside down when their diabetes is discovered.

Like I said, money buys research. The current research is very hopeful. Work is being done to perfect an artificial pancreas. More research is being done to perfect a stem cell therapy. Research finds cures.

So, was it a good night? It certainly was. Finding a cure would be even better.

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