Letter From Teen Inspires Healthy Living

Do you know about St. Vincent de Paul’s Family Wellness Program? It’s a culturally responsive intervention program that provides our families and individuals with education, lifestyle improvement skills and medical and counseling services to improve their health. It specializes in serving children and families at risk for/or diagnosed with diabetes and diabetes-related illnesses.

We were delighted to recently receive a letter from Erubiel, one of the teens participating in our Every Little Step Counts (ELSC) class. He shares with us how this program has impacted and transformed his life.

Hi,

My name is Erubiel and I am 14 years old. Three years ago I started the health and nutrition program at St. Vincent de Paul. At the time I was 11 years old and I was overweight, but I received an invitation to participate in this program and I felt very welcome by the staff. I didn’t know my problem was that serious until the doctors did tests and found saturated fat in my liver, which I learned increases the risk of having diabetes. My liver and the rest of my body were working like the body of a 50 year old. My parents and I had no idea.

When I went to the program for the first time I was surprised by how the staff was organized to talk about this issue, and I felt more confident because there was a psychologist in the class as well. My parents also liked that, as it made the program more serious.

When I started going to the classes I really enjoyed them and I discovered what was best for my health, and the health of my whole family. We were doing our job little by little. It wasn’t easy but we worked as a team: the staff, doctors, my family and I, following the eating and exercise tips.

After awhile I could tell the impact was huge. I looked at my pictures when I started the program and realized I had made a big change in my body, my health and my self-esteem. I made this change over two years and it greatly improved my quality of life. Now my family eats healthy together. We exercise together, share experiences, and if we don’t agree on something we talk about it as a family. This isn’t always easy, but by obeying our parents and by parents supporting their children, it can be achieved.

To this day, I remain active and continue eating healthy. I’m proud to have achieved a great change in my life. I thank the Family Wellness Program at St Vincent de Paul and all the staff for helping me improve my quality of life.

Sincerely, 
Erubiel

We are so proud of Erubiel's commitment to healthy living and hope that others are inspired by his story!