Village of Williamsville girl named Tour De Cure youth ambassador

Kiki Habdo

The American Diabetes Association has named its ambassador for the 2008 Tour de Cure.

Kiki Habdo, 14, of Williamsville, was diagnosed with diabetes when she was 9 years old, after experiencing symptoms that are common for an undiagnosed diabetic.

Kiki spent five days at Women and Children's Hospital.

"When I was first diagnosed, I thought my world was ending," she said.

Kiki is currently on an insulin pump, which has given her the freedom to have all of the same experiences as any other 14-year-old girl. Her motto is "Diabetes doesn't have to change your life. Diabetes changes your life only if you let it."

Kiki has raised more than $3,600 for diabetes research and challenges others in the community to join in her personal fight against diabetes.

Help raise money for diabetes research through the 2008 Buffalo Tour de Cure, a bicycling event on Saturday, May 31. The Tour De Cure raises much-needed funds for the ADA.

Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death by disease in the United States. More than 20 million Americans have diabetes; however, one-third are undiagnosed. More than 750,000 Americans will be diagnosed with diabetes this year, and 150,000 will die as a result of the disease.

Complications from diabetes include kidney disease, stroke, blindness, nerve damage, and amputations. Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have "pre-diabetes" - blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. At least 41 million people in the United States (21.1 percent of the population), ages 40 to 74, have pre-diabetes.

To become a Tour de Cure sponsor or to register as a single rider or with a team, visit www.diabetes. org/tour or www.buffalotourdecure.org, or call Rebecca Donoghue, associate manager of Tour de Cure, at 835-0274, ext. 3705.

The Western New York office of the American Diabetes Association is located at 315 Alberta Drive, Suite 102, Amherst.