Kenmore West Students Host Event to Raise Awareness for Diabetes

On November 14th many Kenmore West students from the Business Club and the Class of 2026 Cabinet came together to host a DECA project, focused on raising awareness for the signs and symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes. Over the summer, the class of 2026 lost a member of their grade due to a misdiagnosed case of diabetes. As a tribute to Alyssa Dorman, the young soon-to-be sophomore, the clubs came up with the idea to team up with DECA, an organization (once known as Distributive Education Clubs of America) that consists of a system of non-profit events that help to raise awareness for a cause. The students in the cabinet chose National Diabetes Day as the day to hold this event to further bring attention to diabetes patients. Kaelin Talamo, a junior at Kenmore West, also contributed to the project by sharing her experiences to help inform attendees. The project also could not have been possible without the help of Dominic DiGiulio who connected the project to a memorial for Alyssa, his classmate. 

The project was set up in the small gym at Kenmore West and it was almost entirely run by students. They were able to get 327 students and staff at the school to come down during lunch periods to write letters, play games, learn about a day in the life of a diabetes patient, and visit Alyssa’s memorial. The Business Club acquired a list of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s largest donors so that students and teachers could write personalized letters. As a result, two hundred and fifty cards were written and sent to donors of the JDRF. The sophomore class was even able to reach out to Alyssa's parents and grandparents who came down to the school to visit the event and speak about their experience of losing their daughter to diabetes. In order to prevent situations of misdiagnosis like Alyssa’s, some spoke about the signs to look for, which included excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, and sudden, unexplained weight gain or loss. Kaelin Talamo had her own table set up with many of the supplies she uses as a diabetes patient so that she could explain to people what they’re used for. Alyssa’s family and closest friends sat near her memorial for people to ask questions, as well. Finally, there was a raffle for any of the attendees who wrote letters to enter as a thank you for their time.

In short, the club’s primary target of this project was to spread awareness to the youth ages 12 to 18.  The clubs hoped to educate the population on knowledge surrounding individuals with Type 1 diabetes and make them aware of the signs in their everyday lives because juvenile diabetes is a disease that should not continue to go unnoticed and untreated. The students, both involved in the Class of 2026 and Business Club, can proudly say that they believe that they reached their goal and would like to thank anyone else who helped to make the project possible. Those involved would like to thank Dominic and Kaelin whose DECA project this was. The clubs also say thank you to Mr. Warchocki, the staff advisor of the event. A final thank you to the Kenmore West students and teachers who supported the project and the cause by taking time in your day to come down and participate. Happy Diabetes Awareness Month, Everyone!