The American Diabetes Association in Hawai’i is a local nonprofit program designed to establish a community to prevent and care for individuals diagnosed with diabetes. This program invests in research for diabetes, advocate for individuals who suffer from discrimination from being diabetic, and educates local communities about the significance of preventing and managing diabetes. As I was researching which program would be best for me to interview for this project, I came across The American Diabetes Association Hawai’i. Around the time I made the decision to interview this local nonprofit program, I was ironically diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Therefore, I knew immediately that I would enjoy learning more about this program and what they have to offer to the people here in Hawai’i. The person I had the pleasure of gaining more knowledge of regarding this program is named Ellie.
Diabetes is a disease in which the production of insufficient insulin in the human body results in elevated blood glucose levels. Type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes are several common types of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. In this form of diabetes, individuals diagnosed with it are not dependent on insulin. Though it is typically seen in those over the age of 35, the number of younger individuals with type 2 diabetes is increasing. Type 1 diabetes can also be referred to as “juvenile” diabetes because of the fact that it typically occurs in children and teenagers. Unlike type 2 diabetes, those with type 1 are dependent on insulin because of the malfunction of the pancreas. Therefore, patients who suffer from type 1 diabetes often inject themselves with insulin in order to stabilize their blood sugar levels. Prediabetes can be thought of as the beginning stages of diabetes. In these cases, an individual’s blood sugar level is elevated but not elevated enough to be classified as diabetes. Establishing a healthy lifestyle helps to prevent prediabetes from escalating into type 2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs only in pregnant women. Many people assume that gestational diabetes is a result of the mother’s diet and lifestyle. However, that is not true because gestational diabetes cannot be prevented. When a woman is pregnant, the placenta releases hormones. Sometimes, those hormones that are being released by the placenta results in insulin resistance. Because insulin is important in stabilizing blood glucose levels, resistance to the insulin leads to high blood glucose levels which results in diabetes.
In the United States, someone is diagnosed with diabetes every 19 seconds. The American Diabetes Association estimates 30 million children and adults in the United States to have diabetes. An additional 86 million Americans have prediabetes. In the state of Hawai’i alone, 1 in 3 people have prediabetes or diabetes. Approximately 154,400 individuals suffer from diabetes here in Hawai’i. In addition to the 442,000 individuals in Hawai’i who has prediabetes, that is nearing 600,000 people with prediabetes and diabetes combined here in Hawai’i. The state of Hawai’i has the highest percentage of gestational diabetes in the nation with 8.7% of our state suffering from this disease. Prediabetes and diabetes is more commonly known to affect Pacific Islanders (27%), Native Hawaiians (25%), Filipinos (25%), and Japanese (21%). With diabetes being one of the most common and serious diseases here in Hawai’i and across our entire nation, the cost of diabetes in the United States annually tops $322 billion. In just Hawai’i alone, the calculated total cost for people with diabetes in 2015 reached about $1.5 billion. Unfortunately, in both the United States and the state of Hawai’i, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death. Unless there are preventative measures taken to stop diabetes, recent research has anticipated 1 in 3 American adults to suffer from diabetes by the year 2050.
The American Diabetes Association in Hawai’i is designed to serve the entire state of Hawai’i. Their mission is to prevent and cure diabetes as well as improving all the lives that are affected by diabetes. The American Diabetes Association in Hawai’i has a primary goal to provide all individuals who are affected with diabetes to live a life free from burden, threaten, and discrimination. To achieve this goal, those apart of the American Diabetes Association here in Hawai’i goes out into the community along with volunteers and medical professionals to bring awareness of diabetes. Through this spread of awareness, they also provide informational and educational support of the prevention, treatment, and proper management of diabetes.
To succeed in their goals as a program, The American Diabetes Association in Hawai’i also raises funds through events to support the expenses of preventing, treating, and managing patients with diabetes here in Hawai’i. A couple of their special events that are held to raise funds are “Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes” and “Tour de Cure Hawai’i”. In the Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes event, members of the community are invited to participate in taking charge of their health and start walking for a better tomorrow. This event is held annually in the Spring and more than 2,500 participants can be seen walking to make a difference in the American Diabetes Association effort to provide education to the public, prevention, and extensive ongoing research for diabetes. In the Tour de Cure Hawai’i event, members of the community are invited to participate in cycling and running. In the cycling event, participants have the option of a 10 mile, 25 mile, or 50 mile ride. In the running event, there are two options. Participants can run a 5k or a 10k. In both the Step Out:Walk to Stop Diabetes event and the Tour de Cure Hawai’i event, the American Diabetes Association Hawai’i recognizes and honors all participants who are living with type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes as Red Striders, Red Riders, and Red Runners. The sole purpose of these events is for the individuals who are living with diabetes. With a huge group of participants who gather from the community of Hawai’i to participate in these events to help raise funds for diabetes here in Hawai’i, the American Diabetes Association Hawai’i has been very successful in their mission to improve the lives of everyone effected by diabetes by spreading awareness and providing education on the proper management and treatment of diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association here in Hawai’i offers a number of activities for volunteers to help their program. To assist in their program, volunteers are invited to deliver diabetes awareness through health fairs, events, activities, and through conference participation. The American Diabetes Association Hawai’i finds it important to be advocates for those suffering from discrimination from being diabetic by increasing federal commitment and funding for diabetes research and programs, protecting people with diabetes against discrimination, and improving health care and insurance coverage. In Hawai’i specifically, advocating can be done through activities that are promoted through the American Diabetes Association advocacy. The American Diabetes Association here in Hawai’i invites you or anyone you may know who has suffered from discrimination because of diabetes to join the ADA’s advocacy efforts. Diabetes risk tests are accessible by anyone who is interested in assessing their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. To participate in this free risk test, participants need to visit diabetes.org/risktest to complete the online assessment that offers basic diabetes information, symptoms, risk factors, and preventative measures that can be taken to decrease their risk. On every fourth Tuesday in the month of March, the American Diabetes Association hosts an ADA Alert Day. This one day “wake-up call” invites Hawai’i along with the rest of the country to participate in taking the Diabetes Risk Test to learn if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes or not. The American Diabetes Association hosts Adult Support Group meetings monthly to give patients who suffer from diabetes or prediabetes the chance to meet and talk with a health care professional. Another program offered by the ADA is The American Diabetes Association’s Youth and Family Link Program. Through this program, families are connected to other families who are living with diabetes. Information, services, programs, and special events for children of all ages with diabetes are provided. In connection with their Safe at School program, this family link program works to make sure that parents of students who suffer from diabetes are aware of the protections and rights they are entitled to by law.