Diabetes
CA1 – USA
One of our Lions Club members runs a food pantry at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church in our community on Saturday mornings. We asked if Ormond By The Sea Lions Club could offer diabetes screening one Saturday when the food pantry is open from 10:45 till noon and it was permitted. Three members participated, Lions Melinda Uebel and Mary Yochum were screening and Lion Bobbie Cheh was at the door greeting clients as they waited to enter the food pantry and making them aware that we were doing the free screenings.
One large, solidly built gentlemen said he didn’t know anything about blood sugar but would like to take advantage of the free test. When Lion Melinda tested him, his blood sugar was over 400! They recommended he call his doctor on Monday to discuss the reading.
Daniel Condon did just that and found he was a diabetic. The doctor put him on medication and instructed him what to do. He also told him, “Go back and thank those Lions for saving your life.”
Daniel contacted us came to our meeting a few weeks later and had turned his health around. He’d lost 10 pounds, gave up smoking and drinking, blood sugar was a little over 200 and was very thankful to God and us for saving his life. He had no idea that he had diabetes.
It was awesome to hear from Daniel and we’ll be screening clients at the Food Pantry once a month from now on. We also donate to the food pantry the reader glasses that are donated to us. It’s wonderful to have played a part of helping someone lead a full and healthy life.