Hello Everyone!
For Tweet of the Week, I decided
to give the money to an organization that is very close to me and my family.
This is the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or JDRF for short. As many
of you already know, my brother Tommy was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes about
a year ago, which was a hard transition for us to make. With diseases like
this, there’s the question of whether or not that person will be able to lead a
normal life. Tommy is doing great though, because he is managing his blood
sugar and becoming more mature because of it. Frankly, I don’t think that we
could’ve made it to the place we are now if not for the overlooked benefits of
JDRF. The most obvious thing about the program is that they donate money to research
Type I Diabetes and hope to eventually find a cure for it. But this
organization also creates a community of people and families who are all
affected by diabetes, who are able to give each other advice, or to be just a
general support system in general. We learned so much from the people there and
all tested our blood sugar to have a better understanding of what is necessary
to be healthy. Since they’ve helped my family out so much, I would like to have
the opportunity to help other families who are struggling with these problems.
I would’ve liked our class to
consider JDRF a little bit more, but I didn’t fight for it in class. This is
because I think that people need to have a personal connection to the
organization before they would want to donate to such a specific organization
like this.
Ryan,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story with us. I do, however, wish that you fought a little harder for it in class. Remember, we have $10,000 and we can potentially divide that money between multiple organizations. You mention that you need to have a personal connection in order to want to donate to an organization. I’d like to politely disagree; do any of us have a direct personal connection to the Soup and Sandwich program or the Hope Dispensary? Sure, we are indirectly connected to them by what the stand for: equal opportunity and basic human needs. However, had you elaborated on your story in class, I believe that many people would have felt moved and may have donated to JDRF. I know that at the camp that I work at, many of the donors only donate after they see pictures of the kids having fun, or hearing a heartfelt, tear wrenching story from a camper themselves. Don’t underestimate the power of personal stories. I know that it is difficult sometimes to share your story to others, in general. I love that you talk about it though, and therefore make more people aware of juvenile diabetes and its effects.
Ryan,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear about the unfortunate circumstances that has affected your brother, however there are organizations like JDRF that make it less stressful and easier to cope with certain circumstances like these.
Although I do not have anyone near and dear to my heart who has been affected by diabetes, I volunteered for the JDRF walk in Appleton Wisconsin last year with my church. Just blowing up balloons and handing them out, painting faces, serving popcorn, drinks and hot dogs was all I needed to initiate empathy for youth who have been diagnosed with diabetes. These are youth who are literally exactly like us, but in reality lifestyle that is compromised because of this diagnosis.
I definitely appreciate your passion for helping and donating to such an organization that many do not know about, but has an impact on the greater good.