Posted by Ellen on November 04, 2001 at 05:42:32:
Non-terrorism charities still need giving hearts
Thursday November 01, 2001, 06:15:03 PM
Like millions of parents, I spent part of Sept. 11 and the following days explaining to my son Aaron the terrible things that had happened in New York and Washington and answering his questions. It was like the conversation we had 5 years ago, when Aaron was eight years old and we had to tell him he had Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes.
There were big differences, however. Last month, I could tell him that things might be scary for a while, but that in the end our government would defeat the terrorists and make us safe.
Right now, I cannot tell him when we will find a cure for diabetes so he can stop taking his insulin shots and pricking his finger five or six times every day to test his blood sugar levels. I cannot tell him when he will no longer be at risk for kidney failure, blindness, heart attack or other complications of diabetes.
In the weeks since that awful September day, my family has joined with other Americans in mourning the people who died, and we have contributed money to help the survivors and rebuild what the terrorists tried to destroy. But I also have learned something, of which most other Americans are not aware: The terrorist attacks are taking a toll on the families of millions of Americans suffering from terrifying conditions like diabetes, cancer, Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease and others for which there is no cure.
The problem is basic and understandable. The millions of good-hearted people who have given money and time to charities for brave firefighters, policemen and the other victims of Sept. 11 are finding it difficult to give to other good causes. Giving to the charity I volunteer for, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, is down and the organization is projecting a 20 percent deficit this year. That means the foundation will have to cut $30 million it planned to provide for research this year. This is especially sad for our family, because cutting-edge research has brought us much closer to finding a cure. Each day of delay means that Aaron still has diabetes.
Clearly, at a time of national crisis, everyone must do his part. JDRF is cutting expenses by 20 percent and other charitable organizations are doing the same. Still, when I see the hope on my son's face, I am more determined than ever that terrorists will not set back the search for a cure.
In the end, however, organizations that are fighting deadly diseases can only do so much. The future of children like Aaron depends on the good hearts of the American people. The nation's response to Sept. 11 proved how good those hearts can be.
November is Diabetes Awareness Month. It comes when many of us feel emotionally exhausted and financially stressed by the war on terror. Yet I hope the good-hearted people of Bakersfield will take a deep breath, dig a little deeper and ensure that the future of children like Aaron is not put in jeopardy by the people who attacked our homeland.
Terry Trimble of Bakersfield is a probation officer for the county of Kern and is president of the Bakersfield Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation