Scottsdale Arizona USA
CLEARING THE HURDLES OF DIABETES
Scottsdale AZ (PJP) - Diabetes. It’s a deadly, disabling disease that affects millions of people in the United States and worldwide. It is the third leading cause of death in America and the number one leading cause of blindness - a harsh reality that can dishearten the victims of diabetes and
their families.
Not so for Mike Derbes, a Chandler, Arizona, resident who works for Peter Jordan
Photography of Scottsdale. Blinded by diabetes seven years ago, Mike maintains an
upbeat positive attitude throughout all aspects of his life — no easy feat considering the
obstacles that he encounters on a daily basis.
In addition to the prejudices and potentially dangerous circumstances that a visually
impaired individual faces, Mike must also be independently mobile in order to commute
from Chandler to his job in Scottsdale. Mike and his seeing-eye dog, Shane, must leave
their home at 5:00 a.m. to walk one mile to the bus stop, crossing busy Chandler
intersections along the way. Once on the bus, they continue on an 18-mile bus ride -
complete with transfers - to Scottsdale. From the bus stop, it’s a five-block trek to his
office. When he finally arrives, it is 7:45 a.m.
After eight hours on the job, Mike makes the same commute home, arriving at 6:45 p.m.
Quite a long day for anyone. "The bus ride, the walk, the long hours - none of that bothers
me. What I want to do is show people that I’m capable of doing the job as well - if not
better - than most people," says Mike. "I’m a fighter. The blindness isn’t going to stop me
or keep me down."
Mike’s job as marketing representative for Peter Jordan Photography entails a great deal
of phone work and logging data into his "text to speech" computer. "The job is great!
There’s something different and exciting everyday. There definitely needs to be more
bosses out there like Peter who are willing to give handicapped and disabled workers a
chance."
Whether snow skiing, tubing down the Salt River, or hiking through the Grand Canyon,
Mike pursues his personal time with equal zest and positiveness. "When life throws you a
curve ball, you gotta hit it out of the park." Mike definitely knows how to hit a home run.
article courtesy of "Photo Marketing Association" / PMA
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