James W. Quander (April 19, 1918 - October 9, 2004) was diagnosed in 1924 with diabetes shortly before his sixth birthday in a time when insulin injections were new and there was a stigma to have the disease. With a prognosis to die by the age of ten, James kept his “Big Secret” for about six decades in spite of several hospitalizations, health emergencies, and near-death experiences. He led a very inner-driven life of perseverance, high goal setting, determination, discipline, and regimentation with diet and exercise usually attributed to Olympic athletes. The Quander Quality is a composite of inner strengths and traits that James Quander utilized to the maximum and inspires readers to emulate in all areas of their lives: health, education, career, and service.
James Quander was not only seen as a “Medical Miracle” living to the age of 86 with Juvenile Diabetes, but he was also a trailblazer in his pursuit of education when opportunities for blacks were limited. He earned doctorate credits in Economics and Statistics and worked for the Federal Government in Washington D.C. for 33 years. In 1971, prior to retirement, he also began a second 33-year career as a Catholic Deacon, one of the original 16 men ordained in the US when the Permanent Diaconate was revived after an 800-year hiatus. While serving others as a Deacon, he disclosed his long-hidden “ Big Secret” and often participated in personal and media interviews. Rev. Deacon James Quander was featured in The Washington Post, Diabetes Forecast, Successfully Living with Diabetes, and The Diabetic News.
Praise for THE QUANDER QUALITY: The True Story of a Black Trailblazing Diabetic comes from the medical, political, and religious communities:
"James Quander was a trailblazer in many ways. His memoir reflects the painful journey of African Americans to receive equal rights in this country. It also reflects a period of time when diabetes was considered a disability and therefore one did not disclose it on a job application. And it reflects the evolution of diabetes treatment and the inspiration of one man who beat all the odds. What an important legacy for all who have diabetes." - George L. King, M.D., Director of Research, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston
"James Quander endured and overcame the pain and suffering of discrimination and segregation without ever compromising his purpose and principles... all while having a happy family life and a successful and distinguished career... an inspiration to all. I am proud to have been his “old Dunbar classmate” and friend." - Senator Edward W. Brooke, Washington, D.C.
"The life - struggles and achievements - of Deacon Quander is a powerful witness and testimony to the ministry of diaconal service that he consistently demonstrated throughout each phase of his life and ministry." - Deacpm Marvin Threatt, Ph.D. President, National Association of African American Catholic Deacons
"This riveting testimonial should serve as inspiration to us all and to the fact that we can beat diabetes." - Francine R. Kaufman, M.D. Past President of American Diabetes Association Author of Diabesity
"James W. Quander was truly a trailblazer and a hero who demonstrated early in life that juvenile diabetes is not necessarily a death sentence. He challenged those who doubted his determination to survive, placing his trust in God, the old Freedmen's Hospital, the Howard University College of Medicine, and the medical staff who taught him basic survival skills. "In death, he continues to honor Howard by donating proceeds from his life story to the Howard University College of Medicine, to promote diabetic research and education." - H. Patrick Swygert, President Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, D.C.
James Quander was a trailblazer. He was an African American living in a society that had not yet accepted equality of all. He was a man with diabetes at a time when it was considered a disability and something that should be hidden.
After a severe insulin reaction, Rohulamin encouraged his dad to write his courageous story. Rohulamin felt that reading about James' struggle with juvenile diabetes could encourage millions of others. Others needed to know that you can live successfully with this ailment. Together James and Rohulamin wrote this book.
James was born in 1918 in Washington, D.C. He was officially diagnosed with diabetes. Bedwetting had become a problem. On one particular Easter Sunday James woke up tired and grouchy. He wasn't feeling well and was barely dragging along. "I collapsed onto one of the two forest green park benches that we always sat on in the front yard in the evenings. I just could not move and relished the fact that I was home... at least almost in my own room, in my own bed." When his father rushed to see if he was ok, he answered, "Papa, Papa come get me. I'm too weak to get up. I can hardly move. Come get me." James was too weak to walk. Dr. Wilder was called; he suspected Juvenile Diabetes. Dr. Wilder and James became a team working together to prevent the condition from getting worse. "Never once did Mama or Papa ever let on to me that they believed that I was not going to make it. Instead they decided that they would do everything within their human ability to provide me with a quality of life equal to that of my two brothers and three sisters."
James Quander shares his experiences with us, from being diabetic to playing basketball in high school, to his struggle with Scarlet Fever, to his academic achievements. I enjoyed reading Mr. Quander's story. It is one of success and courage. The writing is superb; the cover introduces the book well. I highly recommend "The Quander Quality" to all who enjoy non-fiction, and to those who have diabetes or are parents of a diabetic.
An inspirational and engaging example of living and pursuing life to its greatest limits, May 3, 2006
The Quander Quality: The True Story Of A Black Trailblazing Diabetic co-authored by the father and son team of James W. Quander and Rohulamin Quander is the engaging biography of the late James W. Quander (1918-2004). Telling the intriguing story of Quander's diagnosis of diabetes shortly before his sixth birthday, and his dedicated and courageous pursuit to live a fulfilled and purposeful life, The Quander Quality is the inspirational and deeply personal history of how Quander eventually became on of the sixteen men ordained in the United States when the Permanent Diaconate was revived after an eight-hundred-year hiatus. An inspirational and engaging example of living and pursuing life to its greatest limits, The Quander Quality is very highly recommended as for all readers searching for a true life example of timely and enduring truths manifested in an ordinary human being with an extraordinary determination.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rohulamin Quander, the son of James W. and Joherra Quander coauthored his father James’ autobiography, THE QUANDER QUALITY. He has served as a Senior Administrative Judge for the District of Columbia since the 1980s; and as the Mayor’s Agent for Historic Preservation since 1998. Rohulamin is locally, nationally, and internationally recognized as the prime moving force in the ongoing documentation of the unique and distinguished history of the Quander Family - one of the oldest black families in recorded US history. Several Quander ancestors served George Washington in the 18th and 19th Centuries at Mount Vernon Plantation. Currently, he is working on a book that documents the Quander Family’s history, tracing it from Ghana prior to the 1600s through the late 19th and 20th Centuries. Rohulamin is married to Carmen Torruella Quander, a well-known representational artist. They reside in Washington, D.C., have three adult children and one grandchild, and enjoy worldwide travel. To learn more about this amazing book and this amazing family, and to invite Rohulamin Quander as an inspirational speaker, visit their website: www.thequanderquality.com
Story of success and courage, December 16, 2006
An inspirational and engaging example of living and pursuing life to its greatest limits, May 3, 2006
