Growing up, diabetes was never a topic in our family. None of my family members, even the 3rd and 4th degree of consanguinity has been inflected with this disease. That’s until we learned about my uncle’s condition a few years back as I shared in my previous post. We were surprised.
Prior to this, the closest thing that I have ever been to in relation to diabetes was with acquaintances and news within our circle. I remember in my teens seeing an elderly having her right legs amputated. Then I learned it was because of diabetes.
I also recall hearing news from friends whose relatives having health complications because of diabetes. A neighbor who passed away recently also blames diabetes as the culprit.
When I was young, I said I will never have diabetes. But as I begin to understand that the disease respects no one, somehow, there’s fear in me. At one point, I even suspected that I might have it already because of certain symptoms that I’m feeling.
But nobody should do a guessing game about diabetes. Getting more information about the disease is available just like Sanofi’s #PanataNgPamilya program which provides webinar sessions such as Healthier/PH sessions, Step Up to Diabetes Virtual Run, and partnerships with parenting and health organizations like The Asian Parent’s FamHealthy and BayanihanMD to educate people about chronic disease.
Sanofi also has the Empower Patient Support Program which is a comprehensive 360 degrees patient program, because they believe that healthcare should be as personal as possible for every type of diabetes and every person. Your type. That is why upon a doctor’s recommendation and patient’s eligibility, patients are provided with a free starter kit; free education by our Diabetes Educators; and Multi-Channel patient support via phone or through the app so they can be connected & supported all the time and doctors can be updated with patient’s progress by accessing the online blood glucose diary. If you want to support the diabetic in your family or circle of friends, you should look into Sanofi’s program.
Because even though we’re ready to support the diabetic emotionally or financially, there’s more that can be done to help them fight the disease. We need to be aware of the food that they eat so we can avoid worsening their conditions. The need to also strictly implement timely medication and regular checkup is needed as these inflicted are likely to avoid such.
#PanataNgPamilya – As a family member, we should also be mindful of a lot of things for their welfare so they receive proper diabetic care. It’s really a concerted effort to support the diabetic. The responsibility to care for them is not just on their shoulders but more so, in our hands as family members, friends, or acquaintances. Sanofi understands this and has taken every step to be a voice and advocate for the state of Diabetes in the country for a healthier Philippines.