Each year in November diabetics all over the country celebrate Diabetes Awareness Month. Social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook use hashtags such as #diabetesawarenessmonth and #T1Dlookslikeme to help spread awareness.

The goal of Diabetes Awareness Month is to help share educational material and awareness. JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund) has made one of their slogans “With T1D, the numbers add up.” This goes along with one of their campaigns of the month. Diabetics that visit the website have the opportunity to make their own Diabetes Footprint. By entering their diagnosis date, their mode of insulin injection and how they track their blood sugar, a photo is formed to represent their life with diabetes. These photos are shared all over social media.

Multiple students in our school have Type 1 Diabetes. I am one of them. This month I have tweeted with the hashtag #diabetesawarenessmonth and participated in the Diabetes Footprint which I then shared to Twitter. As a member of the diabetic community, I hope this month serves its purpose of teaching both those affected and unaffected by this disease that it’s serious and we need support in making new advancements.

Samantha Schepers, a student who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on January 31, 2012, said, “It sucks, but I would say it’s made me a more responsible person.” Her diagnosis gave her the perspective that “Even though I have this disease, it could be way worse.”

Schepers raised $2,000 with the help of her sister in 2014 for the JDRF Walk. She hopes that by promoting awareness and education people will learn she didn’t eat too much sugar to get this disease. She also wants people to recognize that although it’s not the most serious disease, it’s still serious.

The American Diabetes Association is hosting a walk on November 12 that includes speakers, lunch and a wellness expo to help promote diabetes awareness. Their goal is to raise $15,000, and they have exceeded that amount by $311 already. This walk begins at 9:00 at the Knapp Center at Drake University.

Overall, November is a month for diabetic people all over the country to share their stories, spread information, and raise money to help work towards a cure.