Five minutes of fame

 
According to Andy Rooney, we all get our five minutes of fame, our five minutes in the sun. I got my chance to shine last week when a local media station in Pittsburgh interviewed me.
 

WTAE television anchor woman Michelle Wright came to my home to question me about how diabetes has affected my life. It was all very exciting. When the truck pulled up in front of the house and the camera man came in with all his equipment, I admit to being a little star struck. Once things were all set up, Michelle and I sat on my living room sofa and the camera got rolling. Amazingly, any initial butterflies doing the rumba in my belly did their swan song and skedaddled. Michelle is very personable and put me at ease. WTAE is running a week long series on diabetes beginning tonight and I am scheduled to air at 5:45 pm.

Hopefully, by answering questions about the serious impact type 1 diabetes has had on my life, my outlook on living with a life long disease and its devastating complications, I can offer hope to those  facing  diabetes. Yes, it is a deadly disease which can rear its ugly head, affecting many organs, including the heart, kidneys and eyes. But millions of diabetics, both type 1 and 2 lead long and productive lives. Knowledge is power. If you’re a diabetic, don’t ignore it or take it lightly. See your doctor often, check your blood glucose, eat sensibly and exercise. Fresh fruits and veggies are a lot healthier than sweets. There’s something to be said for that age old proverb.
 An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

CTR AWARD

Hello Friends and Bloggers!
Today is a red letter day in my writing world. As you know, I wrote Echo of a Raven to inspire those facing a vision loss to never give up on a dream. My goal is to prevent the children affected with this horrendous disease to have a happy and healthy future. Diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic at the age of six, diabetic retinopathy was my greatest fear, my worst nightmare and my eventual nemesis.

I struggled with the silent enemy for twenty years, never speaking my fear aloud for fear it might come true. But the word Blindness echoed in my head again and again to the point of obsession. And even though I became a legal secretary, preparing cases for judges in the Family Division of the Court of Common Pleas, my passion was painting. No more pain. No more heartache. Through my picturesque landscapes and ruins of the Roman forum, I could escape and find peace and serenity. Then it happened one day while painting a Tuscan countryside, the initial bout of progressive blindness. And for the next twenty years, my life became an emotional roller coaster. Now you see it....now you don't. And after one devastating operation, I lost all remaining hope and all remaining vision.

It was then I enrolled in a sixteen week program for the blind and visually impaired where I was forced to accept my fate. Through mobility training with the dreaded white cane, group therapy where I was forced to confront my fears and inhibitions and the use of a computer with adaptive software, I found the courage to face a sighted world I was once part of. And alas, a new dream resurrected. Today, instead of painting my pictures on canvas, I paint my pictures with words.

I wrote Echo of a Raven with great apprehension. A writing instructor encouraged me to get it out there to teach, to inspire and to raise awareness of diabetes and its complications. I am shy by nature and do not relish sharing my fears with the world. But if I can help JDRF Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation fight for a cure by donating a portion of proceeds and preventing one child from living in fear of losing his or her vision, Echo of a Raven will be a smashing success.

Cherokee from Coffee Time Romance and More has reviewed Echo of a Raven and has bestowed the greatest gift one could hope for in writing. Humbled and thrilled beyond words, I thank Cherokee from the bottom of my heart. She just got it. Here's what was in my in box this morning.

Wishing you all good things and the luck of the Irish,

Sharon Donovan
Romantic Suspense with a Twist of Faith
http://www.sharonadonovan.com/

Hello Sharon, (hope you are doing well today)Per my recommendation, your book has received a CTRR (Coffee Time Reviewer's RecommendAward) from Coffee Time Romance & More. This award recognizes outstanding writing styles in all book types and genres. Your book has received this award because I feel it is above and beyond a 5 Cup Rating.You can see this here:http://coffeetimeromance.com/CoffeeThoughts/I have attached a graphic that we encourage you to use on your site, your newsletter,MySpace, and any other place you use to promote you and/or your books.We have announced this in our weekly newsletter, on our blog, and put the CTRR Awardon your actual review on our site. It will stay there permanently.hugs, Cherokee

JDRF to benefit from sale of Echo of a Raven

JDRF to benefit from sale of Echo of a Raven

With America in the lead at 20.8 million, there are more than 230 million diabetics in the world and the number is rapidly increasing. More than half of these diabetics will develop some stage of retinopathy during his or her lifetime. This condition causes fragile blood vessels to grow and rupture in the back of the eye and can lead to progressive blindness.

I began hearing the frightening phrase diabetic retinopathy at the age of six when I was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic. During a routine visit to Children’s Hospital when I was twelve, a doctor predicted I would be blind by time I was twenty-five. His harsh words echoed in my head to the point of obsession, affecting every major decision I made for years to come. But even though these words haunted my subconscious, I never spoke them aloud. Then they might come true. The closer I got to twenty-five, the tighter the noose around my neck, sucking the life out of me like a garrotte. I worked as a legal secretary at the Court of Common Pleas where I prepared cases for judges in Family Court. But painting was my passion. I spent my weekends painting picturesque scenery, the ruins of ancient Rome and reflections on the water. Through my artwork, I escaped to a place of peace and tranquility. No more heartache. No more pain. But one day while painting a Tuscan landscape, I had the first bout of blindness. And for the next two decades, my vision came and went. Now you see it—now you don’t. And after a rocky road, nine years ago, I lost the battle, losing all hope and my will to live.

But through an organization for the blind and visually impaired, I found the courage to face a sighted world I was once part of. Some of the curriculum I endured for eight grueling hours every day for sixteen weeks was mobility training with a white cane, group therapy to deal with anger issues and the use of a computer with adaptive software. It was a heart-wrenching journey filled with endless challenge. Part of the reason I was reluctant to enroll in a program for the blind and visually impaired was because I thought clients would be uneducated. I was a professional, after all. What could I possibly have in common with “Those people?”

I was wrong. I met doctors and nurses, teachers and engineers, all with one common thread. We were all facing vision loss due to circumstances beyond our control. Some had the extra burden of facing a marital problem because a spouse could not or would not accept the blindness. We laughed and we cried. We connected in a way words could never express. I was one of the lucky ones. What didn’t kill me made me stronger. And after a long and winding road, a new dream resurrected. Today, instead of painting my pictures on canvas, I paint my pictures with words.

Echo of a Raven is a must read for diabetics, those facing a vision loss and for intelligent people who want to put an end to this world-wide epidemic. In my memoir, I give a prolific account of my stay at Pittsburgh Vision told from an insider’s point of view when institutionalized for sixteen weeks. Echo of a Raven is not for the weak at heart. But through my darkest hour, I found light at the end of a tunnel. Only when I reached out and asked for help did doors open. And doors have continued to open for me. There is a plethora of opportunity for the blind and visually impaired. In my memoir, I give the names and addresses and websites for several organizations that have been invaluable to me. Please help me in my mission to find a cure for diabetes and its number one complication—blindness. If I can prevent one child from living in fear of losing his or her vision, Echo of a Raven will be a smashing success.

A portion of all proceeds of Echo of a Raven will be donated to JDRF Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation fight for a cure. I thank you for supporting my charity.

Sharon Donovan
Echo of a Raven
Available in paperback and eBook
BUY HERE:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/echo-of-a-raven/7275809