Annual Juanita McNealy Diabetes Walk-a-thon
In 2012, 29.1 million Americans were living with diabetes, about 9.3% of the population. Of those, 21 million were diagnosed and 8.1 million were undiagnosed.
At the young age of 25, Juanita McNealy was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. She chose to not let the disease define her. She worked in the Environmental Services Department at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, and continued to lead a busy life. Juanita was a devout Catholic and had strong ties to her church.
She subsequently moved to Long Beach to be a stay-at-home mom for her children. Juanita continued nurturing her children even after they grew into adulthood.
“One of the fondest memories that I have of my mother was when I would come home from work and she would have dinner prepared for me. She was an amazing cook and you could really tell that she loved to do it. It wasn’t a chore to her; she cooked from the heart. She was a wonderful person.”
–Sharon McNealy, Controller, St. Mary Medical Center Long Beach
Juanita McNealy chose to live her life and not let diabetes define her. She made healthy lifestyle choices, which resulted in overall better health and longevity. St. Mary Medical Center has chosen to honor Juanita, raise awareness about diabetes and educate individuals about how to live happy, health lives…just as Juanita would have wanted.
The outpatient Diabetes Education Program at St. Mary Medical Center is the first program of its kind serving the people of Long Beach and surrounding communities. Your donation to this program will enable St. Mary Diabetes Educators to continue providing their patients with the tools to manage their chronic condition.
To Create a Team: Please contact Annissa Jaramillo by email at Annissa.Jaramillo@dignityhealth.org or by phone at 562-491-9187 and give your Team Name, Team Captain’s Name and contact email address.