Local Sammamish students to advocate for Type-1 Diabetes funding at Children’s Congress
On Tuesday, July 8 and Wednesday, July 9, three local high school students will advocate for Type-1 Diabetes (T1D) awareness and funding in front of the United States Congress in Washington D.C.
Through the Children’s Congress program in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Breakthrough T1D, the students will share their personal experiences with the condition and emphasize the importance of Diabetes awareness.
The Children’s Congress began in 1999 and occurs every two summers. During the event, children from all 50 states as well as other countries meet with federal representatives to share their stories. This year, there are more than 160 young delegates from all over the United States. The delegates advocate for legislation that funds research, lowers insurance costs and increases affordability of necessary resources like insulin.
Preston Miele, a junior at Skyline High School (SHS), was diagnosed with T1D when he was just one year old. He plans to speak about the technological advancements over the 15 years since his diagnosis and illustrate the importance of the research funding that has allowed so many improvements.
“It’s just amazing to see the new technology and how important it is to increase advocacy for this new research, new technologies and hopefully a cure in the future,” Miele said.
In addition to advocating for funding, the delegates plan to address the stigma surrounding the disease and encourage others to speak out about the importance of their medical needs.
Bryan Zhu, a senior at Bellevue High School, will spotlight the stigma issues during his trip to Washington D.C.
“If your school is not letting you use your insulin pump during a test because it looks like a phone, that’s not normal. So my message to everyone else like me is that you need to stand up for yourself. Don’t let discomfort get in the way of you getting your medical rights. ” Zhu said.
Ava Miller, another senior from SHS, hopes that greater medical needs can be met with more awareness and willingness to speak out.
“Other kids don’t have to be necessarily afraid to hide these kinds of things. They can share their story too”, Miller said.
Lindsey Larkin is the development director of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of Breakthrough T1D and has worked closely with the three delegates prepping for the event. Larkin feels that the Sammamish delegates emphasizing the importance of awareness and research for diabetes can help inspire both the local community and kids with diabetes everywhere.
“These representatives are just total shining lights and examples of how you can overcome this disease and be anything you want,” Larkin said.
The three students have all been involved with Breakthrough T1D for years and applied for the seats in Children’s Congress last fall. Since being selected, the students have worked on their presentations to tell their story and highlight the issues they face daily. The delegates plan to emphasize the importance of being aware and addressing the disease.
“Diabetes is just a part of you. It’s not the whole you, and it doesn’t control you. Don’t be afraid to advocate for what you need,” Miele said. The Sammamish representatives will be speaking to Congress on July 7 and 8. Find out more about the Children’s Congress here.
