Honouring Tanya-Kaye

DIFFERENT people honour the memory of loved ones in myriad ways, but the staff of CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank Operations Department chose to “mourn” by taking the positive step of informing themselves about diabetes — the disease that recently took the life of their beloved co-worker Tanya-Kaye Rodriguez. Only 32 years old, she died approximately two weeks after being diagnosed.

In Tanya-Kaye’s honour, the bank presented an Adopt-A-Cause cheque to the Diabetes Association of Jamaica and hosted a staff information session at which Lurline Less, chair of the association, spoke about the prevention and treatment of diabetes.

Less appealed especially to the employees “who feel they are young and invincible”, to watch their diet.

“If you have diabetes in your family you are at high risk, but even if you don’t, your lifestyle, what you eat and drink — oily fast foods, sweet drinks — can cause diabetes,” she warned.

Noting that some people show no symptoms of diabetes until it is too late, Less strongly advised everyone to get checked regularly.

Common symptoms, she said, include wounds that won’t heal, blurred vision, frequent urination, weight loss and fatigue.

Less urged the employees to adopt good habits: “Drink lots of water, reduce sugar and reduce fat.”