By Monique Jones
The Birmingham Times
Television and theater star S. Epatha Merkerson visited Birmingham last week to talk about an issue she knows about all too well – diabetes.
“I watched my father die. I saw my grandmother go through the loss of her sight. I know my uncle has had his lower extremities amputated. For some reason, we didn’t talk about it,” she said. “For me, once I was diagnosed, I realized that it was very important that I start really paying attention.”
Merkerson’s brother has also been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and her niece became diabetic while pregnant. “Now, we’re having dialogue about it,” she said. “We’re talking about it in the house. …I think that’s what we need to do. I don’t know if we [in the African-American community] have taken [diabetes] lightly more so than we just assumed that’s what it is and that’s our lot in life when it really isn’t.”
About 13 percent of African-American adults are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and in many families, it’s a diagnosis that isn’t discussed in the healthiest terms. Whether it goes unnoticed or disguised by under the nickname “sugar,” diabetes can become a silent killer without proper treatment.
Merkerson, who played Lt. Anita Van Buren for 17 seasons of Law and Order and can now be seen on Chicago Med as Sharon Goodwin, Gaffney Chicago Medical Center’s Chief of Services, who is also an advocate for diabetes education.
Merkerson said she spoke to show’s writers about adding diabetes to her character.
“[F]ar more people watch television than they go to movies [and] the theater,” she said. “I think television at its best, not only entertains, but it educates. It’s one of the things that I love about [executive producer] Dick Wolf’s shows, that you sit down to be entertained, but you get up having learned something. So, if my personal life can be used as a tool to educate from our show, then I’m all for it. There are so many people that have type 2 diabetes, and it’s a great way to spread information.”
Merkerson’s own story includes her journey towards gaining control over her illness.
“It was really going to my doctor and he and I sitting down and having a conversation about what needed to be done once I was diagnosed,” she said. “These are things that will make you proactive in your healthcare.”
She has partnered with Merck and the American Diabetes Association to promote the America’s Diabetes Challenge: Get to Your Goals program. The program includes celebrity spokespeople like Merkerson, country music star Tim McGraw and chef Leticia Moreinos Schwartz asking the nearly 30 million Americans affected by diabetes to share their stories and take the pledge to get to their average blood glucose level (A1C) goals through the program’s website.
“It is an educational program. It is telling people what symptoms to look for [and] what questions they should ask their doctor,” she said. “…It really is a comprehensive website that is based on educating people about Type 2 diabetes and how we can get the message out to our loved ones, our colleagues.”
Across the country, Merkerson and America’s Diabetes Challenge have been educating communities about proper diabetes management. One of their stops included last week’s visit to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
“I keep saying it feels very grassroots, because that’s what we’re doing,” she said. “We’re coming to community centers, we’re going to places all around the country talking about A1C, what the importance of it is, how it’s important to work with your doctor, sharing your story.”
Learn more about type 2 diabetes, share your story and take the pledge to meet your A1C goal at AmericasDiabetesChallenge.com.
