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by Kris Kaufman
The U.S. diabetes community is blessed to have such dedicated advocates promoting healthy lifestyles for all diabetics. Founder and CEO of Team Type 1, Phil Southerland, is a said advocate for diabetes education, empowerment, and nutrition control whose new book Not Dead Yet: My Race Against Disease From Diagnosis To Dominance is his memoir detailing his life since his diagnosis at just seven-months-old.
Southerland begins his story with his intense experience in the emergency room, where his mother was informed that he displayed the youngest case of diabetes on record in the world at that time. With following chapters like “My Type of Childhood”, “On the Road”, and “The Race Across America”, the cyclist relates to the diabetic community through his love for cycling, while also stepping forward as an inspirational figure for anyone.
While not carrying the disease myself, Southerland’s book really educated me to see the daily motivation needed to maintain a positive attitude and willingness to accept a given disease for what it is. My dad was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes a few years ago, so while I found an innate interest in the cyclist’s story from an early start, I realized after just a few pages that Southerland’s memoir is an important read for anyone.
His in-depth, personal struggle is easy to experience along with him as he embarks on sharing how he managed his life with the cards he was dealt. The advocate connects to all readers – diabetic or not – when he says, “My efforts to control my diabetes are nonstop and constant. But of course, the reality is that you have no control when it comes to who you are, where you were born, what you were born with, and to whom. Despite being cursed with a disease that could have killed me, I believe I was lucky in that lottery of life”.
This book is a must-read for anyone trying to overcome acceptance and is a huge inspirational tool for kids and adults alike to promote healthy living and a dedicated hope to never give up.
For more information on author Phil Southerland, Team Type 1, and where you can purchase Not Dead Yet: My Race Against Disease From Diagnosis To Dominance, please visit www.teamtype1.org. |
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