News
November 4, 2015JDRF Northeastern New York Introduces New Executive Director During National Diabetes Awareness Month as part of T1D Looks Like Me Campaign
JDRF of Northeastern New York’s relatively new Executive Director, Ray Matzkin Kimmelblatt, CFRE, started working for the local chapter in June of 2015. Besides raising money to find a cure for type one diabetes (T1D), her personal mission is to raise awareness about this disease. Kimmelblatt understands first-hand what it is like to have type one diabetes. She was first diagnosed at the age of 12.
Kimmelblatt is not alone. Each November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. This year, JDRF will introduce a new campaign, T1D Looks Like Me, to showcase the faces and stories of people who feel the real impact of T1D day in and day out. The campaign can be followed at jdrf.org/T1DLookslikeMe or #T1DLooksLikeMe on social media.
Kimmelblatt shares, “I have a vivid memory of reading about T1D on the back of a milk carton. I told my older brother that I thought I had diabetes and he told me not to worry. Three weeks later, I was diagnosed. My initial symptoms were extreme thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, depression, and vomiting.”
Kimmelblatt shares, “I have lived with this disease for 25 years. I actually applied for this job three days after my 25th anniversary, and saw the opportunity as a calling to do something deeply personal. This disease requires so many things – discipline, persistence, and patience, but it also requires a supportive community. You just can’t go it alone, but this was a lesson I learned far too late in life. This job is a true labor of love for me, and through my new role, I found a community I never knew I needed.”
“T1D made me the person I am today. It has made me bold and fearless. I’ve always lived my disease out loud, with the motto “If I have to live with T1D, so do you.” I’ve never let T1D stop me. I’ve traveled the world, advanced in my career, and even had 2 children – something my family feared would be impossible when I was diagnosed 25 years ago.”
Kimmelblatt resides in Delmar, NY with her husband and two sons.
