November is American Diabetes Month. For those of you unfamiliar with the disease, diabetes is a serious condition that affects the body’s ability to produce or respond properly to insulin, a hormone that allows blood glucose (sugar) to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy. According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 21 million children and adults in the U.S. have the disease. It is the fifth deadliest disease in the U.S. and it has no cure.
Families.com has an incredible diabetes advocate in our own blogger, Kristyn Crow. You can read her many excellent blogs on the subject in “Special Needs.” While you may not be related to a person who lives with the disease (Kristyn has two sons with the disease), I can guarantee that you would recognize the names of some famous people who are affected by diabetes.
Take a look at these celebrities that live (or have lived) with the disease. Also, please take a moment this month to visit the American Diabetes website where you can learn more about diabetes, the risks associated with the disease, and some ways you can become involved in American Diabetes Month.
Some Famous Faces (Past and Present) of Diabetes:
· Academy Award-winning actress, Halle Berry
· Emmy-Award-winning actress, Mary Tyler Moore
· Tony Award-winning actress, Nell Carter
· Actress Delta Burke
· Actor Wilford Brimley
· Legendary actors Jackie Gleason, Spencer Tracy, and Jackie Gleason
· “Leave It To Beaver’s” Jerry Mathers (the “Beav” himself)
· Famous Inventor Thomas Edison
· Ernest Hemingway, famous 20th century novelist
· Singers Meat Loaf and Jerry Garcia
· Bret Michaels, lead singer of the rock group Poison
· David Crosby, member of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
· Legendary jazz musician, Miles Davis
· Rhythm and blues star, B.B. King
· Award winning jazz trumpeter, Dizzy Gillespie
· Legendary jazz vocalist, Ella Fitzgerald
· Baseball great, Ty Cobb
· Tennis legend, Billie Jean King
· Gary Hall, Olympic gold medalist in swimming
Can you think of others?
Related Articles:
How I Learned my Son has Juvenile Diabetes: Garrett’s Story
Oranges and Ball Machines: My Training in Caring for My Son’s Diabetes