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Mathers is an American icon, best known for his portrayal of the mischievous Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver. Currently shown on TV Land and in countries throughout the world, Leave it to Beaver has made Jerry Mathers one of the best-known actors in television history. He has also appeared in movies, such as Alfred Hitchcock's The Trouble With Harry, and on stage, starring as Wilbur Turnblad in the Tony-winning Broadway musical Hairspray.
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Despite Beaver's seemingly perpetual youth, life caught up with Mathers when he was diagnosed with diabetes. Originally faced with a life expectancy of three to five years, he has kept his disease at bay over the last 10 years. Speaking of his experience in this month's episode of Sharing Miracles, Mathers says, "You have to take control of your diabetes; you can't let it take control of you."
Now, Mathers works tirelessly as a patient advocate, using his celebrity to help spread the word to others: "I've been so blessed, and I've had so many good things happen to me, that if I can help just one, two, maybe even 1,000 people -- as many as I can -- it makes my heart feel good."
Speaking about the importance of early diagnosis and thorough treatment, Mathers adds, "You'll have a much better quality of life throughout your entire life, and it can be long and productive."
Previous episodes of Sharing Miracles have featured Emmy Award-winning actor Joey Pantoliano, who has clinical depression; former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, who is battling colon cancer; syndicated television talk show host Montel Williams, who suffers from multiple sclerosis; cancer survivor and mountain climber Sean Swarner; and breast cancer survivors Mayte Prida, a Telemundo personality, and North Carolina State University women's basketball coach Kay Yow. Future programs will highlight Olympic Gold Medal winners Greg Louganis, who suffers from HIV, Mark Spitz, who has high cholesterol, and Bruce Jenner, who has attention deficit disorder; and pop icon and Broadway star Deborah Gibson, who has suffered from devastating anxiety attacks. Sharing Miracles is produced by PhRMA's Communications & Public Affairs Department.
Sharing Miracles airs on Sunday mornings -- in 37 television markets, reaching more than 20 million households -- on the following network-affiliated stations:
The show also airs on 55 community broadcast stations across the country. For free DVDs of Sharing Miracles, please contact the PhRMA press line at 202-835-3460 or go to www.sharingmiracles.com.
Community stations airing Sharing Miracles are located in the following cities: Dallas, TX; Hartford, CT; Manchester, NH; Atlanta, GA; Minneapolis, MN; Albuquerque, NM; Tampa, FL; Sacramento, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Gilroy, CA; Pasadena, CA; Petaluma, CA; Aurora, CO; Bridgeport, CT; Hamden, CT; Madison, CT; Plainville, CT; Mountain Home, ID; Batavia, IL; Bloomington, IN; Covington, KY; Vicksburg, KY; Lafayette, LA; Carver, MA; East Longmeadow, MA; Easthampton, MA; Lexington, MA; Sandwich, MA; Worchester, MA; Mexico, ME; Cadillac, MI; Farmington Hills, MI; Kalamazoo, MI; Champlin, MN; Londonderry, NH; North Conway, NH; Princeton, NJ; Los Alamo, NM; Minden, NV; Fairport, NY; Manhattan, NY; Tivoli, NY; Webster, NY; Macedonia, OH; Norwood, OH; Gettysburg, PA; Reading, PA; White River Junction, VT; Bremerton, WA; Longview, WA; Port Townsend, WA; Janesville, WI; River Falls, WI; Whitehall, WI; and Wisconsin Rapids, WI.
The show's corresponding Web site, www.sharingmiracles.com, is an interactive forum for peo
