November 7,2011

In 1996, Mrs. Geraldine Johnson was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. For years she struggled to manage the disease and in 2009 decided that she was going to take action to help her get it under control. She contacted the National Capital Area American Diabetes Association office and was connected with Melody Poindexter, director of programs.

Mrs. Johnson was invited in to learn about Choose to Live, a program targeting African American women aged 35-55, designed to educate on diabetes and nutrition and focus on physical activity and maintenance. Once she learned about the program, she decided to become an Ambassador and teach Choose to Live workshops to groups throughout the community. Mrs. Johnson has been teaching workshops about twice a month ever since.

She says she continues to teach the workshops because she enjoys helping people and she sees how excited everyone is to learn how to manage or prevent diabetes. It is also a constant reminder for her of how important it is to monitor her own blood sugar to prevent diabetes-related complications like blindness, stroke, and heart disease. Mrs. Johnson uses what she has learned from the American Diabetes Association and continues to “pay it forward,” helping many others take control of their diabetes.

Volunteers, like Mrs. Johnson, help to fulfill the American Diabetes Association’s mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes, through programs like Choose to Live. But without the support of local donors, like yourself, these programs would not be possible.