My name is Ashley and I’m 23 years old. I have been living with diabetes since I was 14. It was hereditary. I got it from my daddy who is 42. He has been a type 1 diabetic since he was 8. My dad and I can relate to Bret because it tore my dad to pieces when I was diagnosed and lord knows I hate shots. At the beginning I had my sugar under control. My a1c was perfect, but then I got on my own at 17 and it went down hill from there. I can’t afford insurance to pay for my doctor visits or my medicine. Medicaid denies me because I’m not blind or have cancer, so they say. I have to skip doses of my insulin just to make it last. I have been in and out of the hospital because I go into DKA because my blood sugar is so high for a long period of time. This disease is taking its toll on my dad as well. His kidneys, eyes , and circulation is bad . He is on dialysis until he can get a kidney transplant. I hate to see my dad go through this. He is more worried about me then himself . I just want a cure so families won’t have to go through this heartbreak. I also wish health insurance would take diabetes a little more seriously because they DO NOT know how we feel day to day when our sugar is out of whack. We feel sluggish and drained of energy. Bret has been an inspiration to keep on even when I feel like giving up. We need a cure now!

Thank you Bret Michaels for not giving up on us.

Ashley