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In This Issue:
Transplant recipient and former diabetic Tom Lindberg rides 30 miles in Rhode Island’s Tour de Cure to benefit the American Diabetes Association.
Tom Lindberg, 49, knows what it’s like to worry constantly about blood sugar levels. Insulin-dependent since childhood, he had Type 1 diabetes and needed to stick his finger three or four times a day—sometimes more—to check his blood sugar levels.
That’s all changed now. Lindberg received a pancreas transplant at BWH last summer and a kidney transplant in 2007. “My lifestyle is a lot easier now,” said the Sharon native, whose transplants were performed by Stefan Tullius, MD, PhD, and Sayeed Malek, MD, and their teams. “There are no more reactions and no more finger sticks. I have a lot more freedom.”
Lindberg has turned his attention to raising awareness of the disease and supporting those who have Type 1 and 2 diabetes, including several of his friends. “They’ve seen what I’ve gone through,” he said. “I’ve got a new life now, but I want people to be aware of diabetes.”
He took that message on the road this month, completing a 30-mile bike ride for the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure in Rhode Island, raising money and awareness for the association. His team, which consists of one of his sisters, himself and three friends, is called “Wheels of Hope.”
“Many diabetics may find it difficult to do this type of ride because the extreme exercise could have a great effect on their blood sugars, making it hard to maintain balance,” said Rita Calden, RN, nurse in the BWH Division of Transplant Surgery, who cares for Lindberg. “It’s great that Tom is enjoying more freedom in his lifestyle and is using his time to inform others about diabetes.”
Wheels of Hope raised $2,400, and the entire Tour de Cure ride raised about $90,000.