B
Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes(糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin (胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if that weren’ t bad enough, he had no health insurance.
After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he’ d better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar, and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones--a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information and resources.
Jason Swencki’ s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children’ s forums (论坛) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site’ s volunteers. "They know what he’ s going through, so he doesn’ t feel alone. "
Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.
These days, Thomas’ s main focus is his charity(慈善机构). Fight it, which provides medicines and supplies to people--225 to date--who can’t afford a diabetic’s huge expenses. Fight-it. org has raised about $ 23,000--in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are put- ting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar’ s original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now. \