What does it mean to be a hero in today's world? That's a tough question, and one of the immediate answers that comes to mind is that a hero is someone who takes action. A hero looks outside of him or herself and tries to make change in the world, no matter how great or small. What would you do if your child was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes? If you're like me, you do what you have to do in order to help your child adjust to his new life. You learn everything you can and try to educate those people around you and that have an impact on your child's life. And you move on, knowing that other people, locked away in labs and working with test tubes, are doing what they can to find a cure for the disease your child has. Not if you're Brenda Novak. Brenda's son, Thad, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I know she did all the things I did, but went few steps [like a thousand] beyond the average person and thought globally. She called upon her writing community and began the first on-line auction to raise money for research to cure diabetes. Now in its fourth year, the auction is on its way to quadrupling the money it made in its first year. All of the money goes to research, and every waking minute, Brenda is thinking about what else she can do to make a difference, not only in her own son's life, but in my son's life and in others who live with diabetes. Thank God there are people like her who are willing to go the distance, to be creative, to think globally, and to use their platform to make change. Brenda Novak is a true hero in my book and in a daring move she's this week's Hero of the Week at Chasing Heroes. Visit Brenda's Website [click here or go to www.brendanovak.com] to find out more about how she's working to cure diabetes. The auction is going on through the month of May and it's truly amazing. Bid on your favorite items, including a killer Chasing Heroes gift basket! And let's work together with a real hero to cure diabetes.