Diabetes is a disease that affects millions not only across the nation but the world and one local family is trying to ease the pain of the disease for patients and their loved ones.

Their solution--build a dialysis retreat center. Thomas Gaddie of Cooke County has done some extraordinary things. He holds the world record for riding a horse the longest in the 1980s, but now he's working on what could be the most extraordinary: he wants to turn his own land into a Diabetic-Dialysis Retreat and Wildlife Sanctuary for other diabetics like himself.

About 23.6 million people in the United States are affected by diabetes according to the American Diabetes Association. Gaddie lost his wife to the disease two months ago, but he wants her legacy to live on through their dream.

"The wife and I together decided we would try to create something that would keep these people happy. If you can keep a happy mind you could be cancelling some doctor's appointments," said Gaddie, a Cooke County resident.

Mr. Gaddie owns this property and has been trying to build a dialysis center for the past 10 years. The problem is that it's a low laying area.

"If you look at any direction from where he is attempting to build this, there is considerable run off that comes from the rolling hills from the lowest point and the attempt to build this is the lowest point unfortunately. There is nothing that I think any of us can do to control huge amounts of water in this area," said Gary Hollowell, the Cooke County Commissioner for Precinct 1. “As much as we would like to help out, I don't think that it's inappropriate to use tax payer money to do this, it is probably illegal to do this."

Gaddie says since this retreat would serve the entire county, the county should be held partially responsible for drainage and flood control in the area.

"It happens to be the county's problem the way I see it. We have visited with them and he has said we are not going to do anything about it," said Gaddie. "If the two minds can get together we can draw up a document and have it notarized and I'll sign it and say he can come to my property to do whatever he needs to do to solve this problem. We are at zero. We can't do anything."

Gaddie says he will make sure that he will one day be able to help people with Diabetes. Gaddie says that his next step is to try and work with the county commissioners to get the county road fixed so there won't be flooding problems. He says he won't start construction until the drainage problems are resolved.