Posted by Therese Bujold on October 16, 1997 at 19:29:35:
In Reply to: Re: Prevention vs. Cure Funding and typos posted by Charlie Lawrence on October 16, 1997 at 15:05:03:
Most of us have agreed here that the public needs to be woken up to the evils and impact of diabetes before the big Government dollars will come our way; that writings like Deanna Gaston and Sue Huson's very much "cut the c*&p" and speak the truth about this disease.
Why then, (and I'm sorry if I'm picking of the JDF, but they ARE our main representative) hasn't there been a little more reality advertising being done for diabetes instead of pictures and ads of happy faces and "no probbbbblem" attitudes. I'm not saying that people should act like invalids, but the organizations who represent us need to use a little 90's "in your face" tactics if they want perceptions to change, and big dollars to come our way.
I recieved a packet from the Barbara Davis Center in Denver a while ago, after I ordered their great "pink panther" digest about managing diabetes. At the front and center of the publication was a picture of a beautiful young girl in a frilly dress, probably 4 or 5 years old, giving herself and injection in the arm. I wanted to turn away, and immediately thought "oh, their playing of people's sympathies to get donations, how crude." But you know what, I now realize that this is what it takes to reach people today.
No, nobody wants to hear the horror stories about diabetes, especially the newly diagnosed and the parents of them (which included myself.) I think this is part of why the general public takes diabetes so lightly; no one wants to bring the pain of the truth about this disease to those affected. That denial of its realities will make it all go away. Whenever I come across stories of success in long term D without complications, I become joyful and elated: "Hey, that's going to be US, we'll be one of those people!" Everyone wants to believe that they'll be the lucky ones, and this is what perpetuates the denial of the realities.
When will our representatives use reality tactics in changing perceptions, e.g. Sue and Deanna's truthful writings?