Rock Island Today

State Rep. Daniel Swanson (R-Alpha) is reminding his constituents and the rest of Illinois that November is National Diabetes Awareness Month.

Diabetes is a chronic long-lasting condition health condition that affects how the body turns food into energy.

“The American Diabetes Association encourages you to take your health into your own hands through awareness, detection, management, and learning to thrive despite your diabetes,” a press release issued by Swanson’s office said.

Approximately 34 million Americans have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Diabetes is a constant battle, not only for those diagnosed, but for their loved ones, caregivers, and health care providers,” the release said. “With the guilt, the blisters, the numbers, the sleepless nights—it’s no wonder it seems impossible that there are good days ahead.”

In late 2019, Swanson crafted a bipartisan piece of legislation that caps monthly insulin costs at $100 a month for marketplace insurance plans and public plans.

The American Diabetes Association is hosting a variety of virtual events to teach people how to prevent even pre-diabetes, according to the nonprofit organization’s website.

Earlier this year, Swanson and a host of his Republican colleagues called for the state into investigate COVID-19 related deaths at the LaSalle Veterans Home.

According to the lawmaker at the time, the state’s priorities “are screwed up,” the Metro East Sun reported.

“We need to focus on our veterans,” Swanson said at the time. “We’ve lost some great American heroes — some who potentially sacrificed their life on a battlefield.”