T. Edwin Stinson, Jr.

Jacksonville, Florida

I want to stop diabetes because of the tremendous financial burden placed on our country and on the people impacted by this disease.

Although I have no direct personal connection to diabetes, as a volunteer with the American Diabetes Association for the last 15 years, I have learned to respect the courage and determination of those who suffer from diabetes. Like many people, before I became a volunteer I knew little about the disease and even less about the financial impact.

We are facing a crisis with the incidence of diabetes and the cost for those suffering from the disease rising at an alarming rate. For example, diagnosed diabetes costs our country more than $174 billion per year and more than 1 in 10 health care dollars are spent to treat diabetes and its complications.

As you can see, we must take action now if we are going to defeat this disease before it consumes even more of our population and our health care dollars. I urge you to join our mission to Stop Diabetes.