By Russ George
Members of the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley held their August membership meeting Wednesday, Aug. 14, at Oak Street Restaurant, 945 Oak Street, in North Aurora.
Club vice president of programs, Chuck Nelson, introduced guest speaker, Peggy Hasenauer, executive director, for the UChicago Medicine-Kovler Diabetes Center. (See photo on page 10.)
Peggy Hasenauer, stated “Kovler was started over 20 years ago by John and Sally Kovler. She and Dr. Louis Philipson were the first employees, and now they have a staff of twenty doctors. Kovler treats both pediatric and adult diabetics, and owns 51% of Adventist Health Systems in the suburbs, with the closest being in Bolingbrook”.
She also spoke about drugs like Ozempic, which have been around for more than 20 years, stating, “They are safe and effective, however, if you have thyroid problems, you can’t take these types of drugs. Please make sure you get them through a trusted doctor, and have blood work done every three months”.
Peggy, also stated, “The National Institute of Health funds have been cut, and she is reaching out to organizations for donations to continue their work”.
The Diabetes Club of Fox Valley members, feel investing in diabetes research is one of our major goals, along with our vision to have a world free of diabetes. Upon completion of her informative talk, we presented her with a check for $3,000, for the Kovler Diabetes Center for research.
Barb Youngren, chairperson for our Club’s “Jerry Youngren Diabetic and Therapy Animal Support Fund”, spoke briefly about her husband’s fight with diabetes.
Jerry L. Youngren was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 12, and lived nearly 70 years with diabetes, and was a medical marvel to all who watched him manage his diabetes.
Barb Youngren introduced Olive Schwerha, her father Matt Schwerha, and Rez, Olive’s Diabetic Alert Dog.
Olive Schwerha, an eight-year-old diabetic, was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic at the age of three. She is completely insulin dependent. Her parents, Matt and Dani Schwerha, added her to a waitlist for a diabetic alert dog, with the Ron and Vicki Santo Diabetic Alert Dog Foundation, when she was six years old. June 27, Olive received her dog, Rez, who had spent fifteen months being trained.
Rez is in his seventh week working with Olive, and has alerted several times about Olive’s glucose levels, even before her monitor alerted. Rez’s nose knows!
Olive was presented with a check for $7,600 from the members of the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley, to assist the Schwerha family in obtaining Rez, as diabetic alert dogs can cost up to $30,000. An additional check for $2,400, was also donated from the Aurora Cosmopolitan Club.
Saturday, Aug. 23, members of the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley will put our tent up at the Aurora Farmers Market, on Water Street, in downtown Aurora, from 8 a.m. to noon.
Members will be handing out information on diabetes, prediabetes, healthy eating, along with our new diabetic recipe booklet.
The Diabetes Club of Fox Valley will hold its second annual gala dinner, “A Night To End Diabetes”, Friday, Nov. 14, (World Diabetes Day), at the Lincoln Inn, 1345 South Batavia Avenue, in Batavia. Cocktails will be at 6:30 p.m. and dinner served at 7:30 p.m..
Members of the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley work together, to provide diabetes awareness, in the Fox Valley area, while raising funds to provide aid and education for diabetics, along with investing in research to find a cure. Uncontrolled blood sugar (glucose) can cause vision, heart and dental problems, plus nerve and kidney damage. Eat healthy, stay active and have a yearly blood test, to stay diabetes free!
The Diabetes Club of Fox Valley is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization, a true grassroots organization, where all money raised through dues, donations and fundraising is used in our fight against diabetes. Individual Dues are $50 per year, Corporate Dues are $150 per year, which includes a Sponsorship Listing on the club’s website: www.diabeteshelpnearme.com.
Interested in joining with us in our fight against diabetes, or have questions about the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley, please call, text or send an E-mail to club president, Russ George, 630-205-9065 or send Email:
Diabetesclubfv@gmail.com.
Please continue to keep informed about our club’s upcoming events, by following us in The Voice, on Facebook, and on our website: diabeteshelpnearme.com.