Posted by Sue Huson on December 22, 1998 at 13:18:27:
In Reply to: I'm Back (the runna) posted by the runna on December 21, 1998 at 21:21:28:
Ayden:
Congratulations and welcome back to Ontario. We are all very proud of what you have accomplished. Your determination to run across this country of ours represents the determination someone must have to endure a life of diabetes.
Whether we like it or not, I believe the CDA has benefitted from your run. My own dear father-in-law recently told me that he does not usually give twice in one year to the CDA. (I didn't know he was giving to them at all.) But this year he thought about the young man running across Canada and sent them a second check. I thanked him for his generosity and his sincere desire for a cure for diabetes, then, as gently as I could, suggested he not donate to them at all anymore.
Also, when you spoke at my school, a number of people asked if they should make out their checks to the CDA. One check was given to me, already made out to them. I sent the check to CDA, and asked them to forward the amount to The Ayden Byle Foundation. However, I have no way of knowing if they did or not. I have to conclude that possibly others who did hear about your run simply sent in money to CDA. Since other high profile trips across Canada have always had the strong backing of the organizations that work in the interest of those afflicted with the conditions, people would just assume the diabetes association would be squarely behind you.
I also believe you were misquoted by the Toronto Star with regards to your apathy statement. I can't imagine anyone with diabetes being apathetic about someone running across Canada to raise money for a cure. However, society in general certainly is apathetic about this disease. Even my own endocrinologist, when I told him that I would be first in line if ever the chance arose for an islet transplant said, "But you're healthy. Why would you risk such a thing?" If someone who sees the end results of diabetes every day could make such a statement, how can we expect others to believe this is a life-threatening, devastating disease? Society has been made to believe that you can live a perfectly normal life with diabetes, and if you don't, it's your own fault.
Because of this, and because no associations were pushing or promoting you, the corporations didn't get behind the run. I watched John Davidson on TV as he traveled through the west, where you said the interest in your run was pathetic. In Calgary he was met with a large delegation of people and was made an honourary cowboy, or some such thing. He had many speaking engagements where banks and other large companies gave him mega checks. Since he is walking for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, you can spot people with the condition rather easily in their wheelchairs. There weren't any, that I could see. It isn't people with muscular dystrophy that are writing the big checks. The success of this walk, "A Father's Tribute" is that it has caught the imagination and interest of the large corporations. The Davidsons,live in our neighborhood and Jesse, John's son with Duchenne, attends school with our sons. People see that he is deteriorating through no fault of his own (compared to us who cheat on our diets and deserve kidney failure) and therefore people's sympathy is aroused.
It bothers me immensely that after you ran the country for us, the Toronto Star quoted you as bad-mouthing us. Yes, society is very apathetic towards this horrible disease that we live with each and every day. "Just be glad you don't have something worse," is a statement we all have had to deal with many times. But I have my most interesting and animated conversations with those who have to live as I do. You can't live successfully with diabetes, as you know, and be apathetic. It is a disease that requires constant courage and non-stop commitment.
Thank you for your courage and commitment in battling society's, and the CDA's, apathy towards curing diabetes. But I would sleep better hearing publicly from you that you did not call me, and my fellow sufferers, apathetic!
Sue