Just got word about this:
BAYER DIABETES CARE ANNOUNCES 2007 WINNER OF $100,000 BAYER DREAM FUND™ CONTEST
“This is Our Story: Learning, Loving and Living Well with Diabetes,” An Original Play, to Increase Diabetes Awareness and Education
Tarrytown, NY (April 10, 2008) – Bayer Diabetes Care announced that Wendy Coleman, Ph.D., director of Theater Ensemble and Speech at Albany State University in Georgia, is the 2007 winner of the Bayer Dream Fund, a contest for people with diabetes who want to achieve a special dream that might not have been possible without control of their diabetes. Through this award, professor Coleman will compose and perform a play about managing life with diabetes based on her and others’ personal experiences to inspire and encourage people with diabetes to live well with the condition.
Coleman, who has a family history of the disease, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2005. At that point, Coleman took a closer look at her family’s experience and decided to bring together in a play the inspirational stories of those around her as a way to highlight the importance of managing the condition. In the play, Coleman draws from her own self-denial upon being diagnosed with diabetes to create a female lead character that gains a deeper understanding of her family’s struggle and, thus, obtains the strength and determination to turn her life around.
“For a long time I suffered in silence, unwilling to accept my diagnosis or the life changes that accompany it,” Coleman said. “The courage and the struggle of my family and others I’ve met along this journey have inspired me to use my theatrical talents to help educate people about the importance of diabetes self-management.”
This is Our Story: Learning, Loving and Living Well with Diabetes will premiere in August 2008 in Albany, GA, and continue to tour the U.S. with four additional stops in Montgomery, AL; Jackson, MS; Daytona/Orlando, FL and Dallas, TX. Proceeds from the play’s ticket sales will be donated to local diabetes organizations dedicated to increasing awareness and education. For more information on Coleman and her upcoming productions, please visit www.BayerDreamFund.com.