the cost of sensors that have to be
changed every ten days. The day Hudson
spent at the state capital made him more
determined than ever to do something
with his life that would make a difference
for others with Type 1 Diabetes.
According to the American Diabetes
Association, “Diabetes remains the 7th
leading cause of death in the United
States in 2015.” Recent statistics
determined that 30.3 million Americans,
or 9.4% of the population, have diabetes.
“Approximately 1.25 million American
children and adults have type 1 diabetes.”
In the past decade alone, the price
of insulin has risen by more than 240
percent. “It's not the fault of doctors or
pharmacists,” said Shanna. “It’s the greed
of drug companies.” For many, including
Hudson, insulin is a matter of life and
death. “In eleven years, the cost of one
bottle of insulin has gone from $30 to
$300. I personally know people in our
community with Type 1 Diabetes who
ration their insulin because they cannot
afford it.”
With no way to prevent or cure Type
1 Diabetes, mayoclinic.org reports, “Over
time, type 1 diabetes complications
can affect major organs in your body,
including heart, blood vessels, nerves,
eyes and kidneys. Maintaining a normal
blood sugar level can dramatically reduce
the risk of many complications.”
In an article for Webmd.com entitled
“Families Cross Borders in Search for
Affordable Insulin,” published on July
18, 2019, R. Scott Rappold reports on “a
group of people with diabetes and their
parents who regularly caravan 5 hours
each way from St. Paul, MN, to buy the
life-saving medicine in Canada. On a
trip across the border this spring, six of
them spent $1,265 on insulin supplies
that would have cost them $12,400 back
home.”
In March 2019, Hudson submitted a
paper to the Georgia State Senate on
Type 1 Diabetes Day. His hope is that
people will become more educated
on the types of diabetes and how they
can be managed.
HOMETOWN LIVING AT I TS BEST 25
PHOTO COURTESY GEORGIA SENATE PRESS OFFICE
/mayoclinic.org
/Webmd.com