T1D Tuesday is a new blog series on TypeOneNation.org that
features guest bloggers who are sharing their voices of how T1D affects
their life. For the month of July we are
recognizing this year’s 2013 Children’s Congress delegates as well as CC Alumni!

Today we have a re-cap of this year’s Children’s Congress 2013 from Hasan Shah, national manager of grassroots advocacy for JDRF.

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After having been staff at Children’s Congress since 2007, I have seen two consistent things from our delegates, resilience and perseverance. This is not only an inspiration for me but for many of our staff and volunteers that end up supporting the event. These kids/ young-adults carry the message of supporting type 1 diabetes research with poise and determination, which in turn helps legislators and their staff understand the importance of supporting important research funding streams like the Special Diabetes Program.

The Special Diabetes Program has been a catalyst many of the technologies you see today, like the artificial pancreas, the continuous glucose monitor, or even the insulin pump. Since 1997, the SDP has pushed type 1 diabetes research forward, allowing for better treatments, ways to understand prevention, and still keep moving forward to a cure. Why such a lengthy explanation of the SDP? That’s because the 2013 Children’s Congress delegates will kicking off JDRF’s effort to ensure the SDP continues to provide the benefits it has to the type 1 community. The delegates were on Capitol Hill representing all of us living or impacted by type 1 to make sure that Members of Congress not only understood to but connected to the importance of continuing to make research a priority until a cure is found.

This year’s delegates not only kicked off the SDP renewal effort but they also will continue their advocacy for the T1D research back in their local communities through the JDRF 2013 Promise to Remember Me Campaign.