Steve Casey
Son, Brother, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Father-in-law, friend & diabetes patient.
We have gathered here together to celebrate Kris' 19th birthday and to wish him well as he embarks on the next stage in his life, the Tennessee National Guard. But there is also a third reason for us to gather together today in celebration. In December of this year, Steve will reach a milestone in his life: having lived (and actually quite successfully at that!) for 50 years with diabetes.
Now a lot of us here don't really realise just how momentous this milestone actually is. When Steve was diagnosed, in December 1956 at age 6, his parents were told that he might live into his thirties, but that along the way he would probably lose a foot, a leg (or both), his eye sight, and/or his kidney function. He would have to take shots every day for the rest of his life and he couldn't eat hardly anything. Well, he DOES take shots every day, but as for the rest of this, well... you can see for yourself.
And thank God those doctors were mainly wrong. Had Steve not lived beyond his thirties, none of us (with the possible exception of Mandy) would have ever meet him and grown to love him as we do. And also, thank God that God or SOMEONE up there is looking out for Steve to protect him from himself, otherwise we'ld have never come to know him. When he was much younger, he took some reckless chances with his life because well, hey.... he wasn't going to live long anyway so why not? And even today he's being protected from himself. Either that, or else we really ought to let the medical journals know that eating lots and lots of 25 cent bags of Lays Regular Potato Chips is a possible cure for Type 1 Diabetes.
Anyone who has gone through life for 50 years with diabetes and still has all of his parts and eats like he does deserves a medal. And so, Steve, to let you know how proud we are of you and how much we love you, we now want to bestow upon you this bronze medal of acheivement.
(Remove medal from case and place around Steve's neck while Mandy hands him his certificate).
Congratulations!
August 27, 2006