Meet David: Turning Family Loss into a Mission to Fight Diabetes

This story discusses the loss of loved ones due to diabetes complications. 

In 2013, diabetes took my brother, Henry. Henry was an all-star athlete who played collegiate soccer. He was also the closest thing I had to a father figure. By the time he passed away, diabetes had stolen so much from him. After losing a leg to amputation, he spent his final years confined to a wheelchair. Watching someone so full of life slowly lose his independence was heartbreaking.

Just one year later, diabetes claimed my sister Mary. Mary was an elementary school teacher who loved her students. Like Henry, she had begun losing pieces of herself to the disease, including several toes. A week before she died, we sat together over dinner when she looked at me through tears and said, "The doctor just prescribed me a new medication that's going to cost more than $400 a month. I don't know how I'm going to pay for it." A few days later, while working a school event, she wasn't feeling well. Not wanting to alarm anyone or cause a scene, she quietly walked to her car to rest. She was found there unresponsive. Diabetes had taken another member of my family. 

Then, last summer, my sister Carmen earned her wings. Carmen had spent her career caring for others as a traveling nurse. Before she passed away, diabetes had taken her eyesight, several of her toes, and eventually her independence. She endured dialysis three times every week before losing her battle. I watched all three of my siblings slowly decline because of the same disease. Today, every one of my siblings, including me, lives with type 2 diabetes. We know the constant highs and lows of blood sugar, the pain of neuropathy, and the uncertainty that accompanies every doctor's appointment. 

The disease continues to affect the next generation as well. Two of Henry's sons are now facing devastating complications. One is losing his vision and can no longer work. The other recently spent six months in the hospital and survived only after what doctors described as a "hail Mary" miracle. For my family, diabetes isn't a statistic. It is our story. 

Yet, in the middle of all that grief, something unexpected happened. As a former English teacher, I had always believed in the power of literacy. One afternoon while driving home, I prayed a simple prayer: "God, if You want me to do something different with my life, put it in my heart...right now." That prayer changed everything. In that moment, I was inspired to write The Adventures of Exo and Cy, a children's book that follows Exo and his dog Cy (exercise) through the town of O.B. (obesity), where Mayor Diane Beeties (diabetes) wants everyone to live unhealthy lives. The story encourages children to move while they read through built-in exercise activities and teaches healthy eating, physical activity, and the importance of literacy. That book eventually grew into Trail Tales, an initiative that places my stories on signs along park trails so families can read together while walking and exercising. 

Today, those projects have become my way of fighting back against the disease that has devastated my family. They have also allowed me to advocate for diabetes awareness across the country. 

Through my family’s experience with diabetes, I have learned several lessons. The most impactful lesson I’ve learned is that we are not promised tomorrow. Every day we get to spend with our loved ones is a blessing. I wish I had one more day with my brother and with my sisters. To be able to have just one more conversation. To be able to hear their laughter just one more time. Life is too valuable to let one day go to waste. I’ve also learned that if we do not care for our bodies in the present, we will ultimately pay the price in the future. As I struggle daily with my own complications, I wish I could go back in time and make the necessary changes early on so I wouldn’t have to live the life of a diabetic. Regardless, I know I’ve been placed on this journey for a purpose, and I aim to see it all the way to the end.

Diabetes has taken three of my siblings, changed the lives of my nephews, and forever altered my own journey. I cannot change what happened to my family, but I can dedicate my life to helping another family avoid the same pain. Every day, I fight for the people I love, for the people we have already lost, and for the generations whose futures still depend on what we do today.