Dr. Glenn Jones is the perfect example of what the American Diabetes Association is all about.

Jones, an assistant professor of clinical internal medicine at the University of Virginia and Eastern Virginia Medical School, was first diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about a decade ago.

Knowing the symptoms of diabetes, he was able to quickly identify his symptoms. Knowing how to manage diabetes, he has been able to control his disease with exercise. And since he has two children, he is passing on the knowledge to the next generation.

Jones is a participant in the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure, coming up on April 28. The ride will begin and end at the Suffolk Executive Airport, and this year’s event also includes a 5K run and walk.

Jones, surely, is an exceptional case. As a doctor, his professional education helped him when he started to develop diabetes, and it has helped him know what to do to manage it.

However, the knowledge of the prevention, symptoms and management of diabetes is readily accessible to everyone thanks to the American Diabetes Association.

One of the association’s main goals has been spreading awareness of how to prevent and manage Type 2 diabetes. It has been especially aggressive with educational efforts here in Suffolk and Western Tidewater, where the rates of diabetes and its complications far outpace the state average.

Thanks to the American Diabetes Association, there are thousands in Suffolk and Western Tidewater who have a better handle on how to prevent and manage diabetes, including getting early diagnosis and treatment, thereby making the disease more easily reversible.

Jones and his wife, Trish, have two children, Zoë and Leo, who come out and support their dad at Tour. Jones took up cycling after his diagnosis as a way to get healthy.

Jones says his motivation comes from two children he has met as a doctor, both of whom were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at a young age. They not only are surviving but also are thriving in spite of their disease.

“As a physician, I realized how much lifelong support and encouragement they would need to manage their disease and that the ADA not only provides such support to diabetics but is also committed to funding research to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes,” Jones said.

We thank Jones and the American Diabetes Association for their hard work in training up the next generation.

Visit diabetes.org/hrtdc or call 424-6662 ext. 3269 for more information about the upcoming Tour de Cure.