Keep Me or Kill Me

Alex Kanke
114 McPherson Crescent
v2a 2n8

Captain Vancamp

Commander

HMS Princess Margaret

Its has been an honour serving with you, and I know that you must be going through a great deal right now with having to rid 15 of your crew members. It is a very difficult decision, and I wish that you wouldn't have to do such a thing. It is very unfortunate that we have come to this, but you need to know that I'm important. That keeping me around will bring benefits down the road. Let me just say, that each and everyone of the crew members are important and deserve to live, but me, I need to. As you know I carry around the disease of diabetes with me. I have for 12 years now. It's difficult, and hard to control sometimes, and I often don't do a very good job of it. You'd think that it would be fairly easy to control too right? No. It's not. It may be easy for some people, but for others such as myself, it's like mission impossible. I constantly have to check my blood sugars, and watch what I eat and so many other things. I want desperately to have control and live a healthy life, but even when I put in my best effort it's just never enough.

Now, when I'm feeling upset or angry at myself for not taking care of my body, I also think about all of the other kids all over the world that are feeling the same emotions that I am. It makes me want to speak to them, to reach out to them and tell them that it will all be all right. That we can work together, get better, feel better and live better.

Something I would like to accomplish in the future is helping kids and teens handle the burden of diabetes. I want to help them take better care of themselves and warn them of the dangers of what will happen if they do not. Now I know that its all up to you whether I live or not, but please think of the kids out there. Hell think of me. I can help. So let me.

Sincerely,

Alex Kanke