I really look up to Adam Morrison, I think that he is everyones roll model on and off the court. I have not met him personally but i love the way he presents himself on the court. Having diabetes is very serious, I do not have it at the time but the risk of me getting it is very high because my mother had it. To Adam I would like to say that you have changed the way people think about diabetes and being an athlete. I play basketball for Warner Southern College and I was afraid that if I was dignosed with diabetes that I would not be able to play, but you have change my whole mind set. Thank you for a great year and also being yourself.

My daughter Shannon has type I diabetes. My daughter and I became huge Adam Morrison fans 2 years ago when we found out Shannon had diabetes. Shannon and I sent a letter to Adam talking about how we were really behind him in his athletic achievements while maintaining control of his diabetes. He sent Shannon a letter explaining how he adjusts his control during a game. He told Shannon what his high sugar levels were and his low sugar levels were while playing for Gonzaga and how he takes care of himself while competing. He is a great role model. He takes time to assist others who have diabetes even with the heavy academic and athletic load he has. I am looking forward to his pro career.

I was diagnosed with Type-I at the age of 12 (just turned 30), and seeing the attention Adam gets is fantastic for this cause. Not only do I feel(as I am sure most others do as well), Type-2 diabetes gets a lot more attention in the media (given it is more common), but I do not even place Type-I and 2 in the same realm of illnesses. I would trade anything to have just type-2. That said, I played Division I college soccer in hot South Florida, I played high-school basketball, and still work part-time as a fitness model in Miami, while working as the Territory Sales Manager for Citrix Systems (large software entity). Playing a college sport is very difficult without diabetes, and I too, would sit on the sidelines checking my sugar, drinking apple juice DURING the run of play, and it is just fantastic to see a success story like Adam's. I wish him nothing but the best, and hope he does in fact inspire those (especially younger diabetics) who feel they cannot accomplish or achieve their athletic and/or personal goals because of this difficult disease. Great site, and great weblog! Best Regards, Damon Vailati

Response to Ron's Comment: We all feel this way in one form or another, and perhaps the fact that diabetes is upwards of a billion-dollar industry has something to do with the lack of a cure. But that said, if your A1C's are in the "non-diabetic range" (you should define that, 6, 7, 8, 9...)you are the exception and doing quite well. So, your complaints, though somewhat warranted, as we all feel frustrated with this illness and all have fears, are just making things worse. We cannot do a great deal to influence a cure, other than kick Bush out of office maybe, but you have to have a stronger mental attitude. I workout 4-6 times a week, suffer through it and feel tired and fatigued, used to have to run miles for college soccer, and still maintain face. This type of thing should inspire others, not lead to poor attitudes like yours. If you are strong enough to have great A1C's, you should be strong enough to be part of your so-called "exception" and accept what you have and focus on staying as healthy as possible. I too get angry, but you need to look at inspirational stories like Adam's and suck it up. Damon Vailati Delray Beach, Florida