ROANOKE, Va. – During National Diabetes Month, one Roanoke business owner is keeping her son’s legacy alive after he died at just 23 years old from complications of diabetes.
Owner of AllSports Cafe, in Roanoke and Salem, Julie Atkins is raising money for her son Lucas, who died in 2021.
“I had 23 years with a fantastic kid. He was funny. He was intuitive. He was kind. Well mannered. Nowhere did he ever go that he did not automatically make friends. He could talk to anybody about anything,” said Atkins.
All month, Atkins is hosting fundraiser events at her restaurants. All of the proceeds will go to the American Diabetes Association. On November 14, which is National Diabetes Day, 15 percent of all sales from both stores will go to the organization. AllSports Cafe is also selling blue ribbons where you can write messages that will hang in the restaurant’s windows this month.
Atkins told 10 News that she wanted to start fighting for her son as she’s coming up on the third anniversary of his death on March 9.
“I think Lucas had some shorthand in this somewhere because out of nowhere, something popped up on my computer about National Diabetes Month,” said Julie Atkins.
More than 29 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes, including more than 28 million adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Practice Supervisor for Diabetes Management Program Kate Jones with the Carilion Clinic said Type One and Type Two diabetes used to be known as juvenile and adult-onset. However, that’s not the case anymore.
“There’s really just not an age distinction anymore. We’re seeing younger and younger kids develop Type Two diabetes, and adults can develop Type One diabetes, so it’s not specific to age,” said Kate Jones.
Atkins told 10 News that her son was diagnosed before his 18th birthday. Atkins said her son thought he had a urinary tract infection or even a kidney infection because his back was hurting and he was drinking a lot. So, he went to the doctor.
“And then they said that when they tested his urine, they found that they had a lot of crystals in there. And then when he tested his blood sugar, he was over 500. So at that moment, they sent him to the emergency room and then that’s when he was diagnosed,” said Atkins.
Jones said some of the signs include increased thirst, feeling tired, blurry vision and increased hunger.
She also said while we can’t prevent Type One diabetes, there are things you can do to delay, if not prevent, the onset of Type Two diabetes, including managing weight.
“Work on losing even just a modest amount of weight can make a big difference—five to 7% for somebody who’s overweight. And so of course, you can do that by making healthier food choices. Avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages is a really good starting point if somebody drinks a lot of sodas or sweet teas or things like that, but physical activity is another really important component. And even just 150 minutes a week, 30 minutes, five days a week is something that has been shown to really reduce the risk of type two diabetes,” said Jones.
Jones also encourages regular doctor visits so people can catch it as soon as possible. Also, if you think something is off, she said you should go to your doctor first.
Atkins said her son, Lucas, attended West Virginia University. Lucas double majored in German and political science with aspirations of becoming a healthcare lobbyist, specifically for Type One diabetes. Now, it’s Atkins who is honoring her son’s future goals.
“We want to support those who are diabetics. So this is about those who are living with this disease today,” said Atkins.