In which I receive a phone call from the ADA...
On Saturday I was neck deep in thesis work when I got a phone call.
It was a representative from the ADA, since they're working for a cure for my disease, I didn't give them the typical telemarketer brush off.
The very polite woman began the call my mispronouncing my last name. It's Bonilla, and it's pronounced in Spanish. Thus, it rhymes with "tortilla" not "vanilla."
I corrected the pronunciation and she replied,
"Oh hello Ms. BoniLLa" (wrong again!)
Whatever, I thought.
She verified my address and explained that she'd be sending out some info so I can get donations. Fine. Good.
Then she asks me: "Does anyone in your family have diabetes?"
"Yes, I have type 1."
Her voice gets very serious and she says, "Oh! I'm sorry. How are you feeling?"
I cheerily reply, "Great, thanks!"
"Do you have to take the insulin?" She innocently asks.
I replied matter-of-factly, "Yes, I have type 1."
"Oh, I'm so sorry!"
Her last apology was not because of her misunderstanding about type 1's needing insulin. Rather, she expressed pity that I had such a devastating disease that was obviously so bad that I needed "the insulin."
I mean really! Can the ADA not give their phonebank operators like 5 minutes worth of training on diabetes?!? I appreciate the work the ADA does, but it's pretty insulting when they call diabetics and the "representative" knows NOTHING about the disease.
Actually, the whole thing gave me a pretty good laugh. Ignorance in other people is pretty hilarious!
It was a representative from the ADA, since they're working for a cure for my disease, I didn't give them the typical telemarketer brush off.
The very polite woman began the call my mispronouncing my last name. It's Bonilla, and it's pronounced in Spanish. Thus, it rhymes with "tortilla" not "vanilla."
I corrected the pronunciation and she replied,
"Oh hello Ms. BoniLLa" (wrong again!)
Whatever, I thought.
She verified my address and explained that she'd be sending out some info so I can get donations. Fine. Good.
Then she asks me: "Does anyone in your family have diabetes?"
"Yes, I have type 1."
Her voice gets very serious and she says, "Oh! I'm sorry. How are you feeling?"
I cheerily reply, "Great, thanks!"
"Do you have to take the insulin?" She innocently asks.
I replied matter-of-factly, "Yes, I have type 1."
"Oh, I'm so sorry!"
Her last apology was not because of her misunderstanding about type 1's needing insulin. Rather, she expressed pity that I had such a devastating disease that was obviously so bad that I needed "the insulin."
I mean really! Can the ADA not give their phonebank operators like 5 minutes worth of training on diabetes?!? I appreciate the work the ADA does, but it's pretty insulting when they call diabetics and the "representative" knows NOTHING about the disease.
Actually, the whole thing gave me a pretty good laugh. Ignorance in other people is pretty hilarious!
posted by Kelsey @ 2:24 PM
4 Comments:
At 4:24 PM,
George said…
OMG! Seriously, a cheat sheet would have done the trick. I must admit, I would have been fuming for a while about that but you are right, it is a crack up after the boiling blood cools!
At 5:06 AM,
Anonymous said…
that's terrible.
At 8:03 PM,
stella said…
Unbelievable, but sadly I'm not surprised.
How do they expect to educate others if they don't educate themselves first?
-Stella
At 6:15 AM,
If not a mother... said…
I had a similar call a few months ago from the ADA fundraising team. Asked me if any in the household had diabetes, I said my husband and I both do. Then asked if either of us "have to" take insulin. And I said well, my husband is type 1 so he does. ohhh, I'm so sorry, was the reaction. I nearly hung up on the guy.
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