JDRF Advocacy would never be able to accomplish our legislative goals in Washington, D.C. without the drive, determination and help of our volunteer leaders and Advocates located all across the country. At the JDRF Chapter level, each Advocacy Team Chair (ATC) represents the local face for our Advocacy program and our many events and initiatives. These expert volunteers focus on building relationships not only with Members of Congress and their staff, but also cultivating their own network of local JDRF Advocates back home. So today, we’re going to take just a little break from what’s happening here in Washington, to profile one of our hard-working ATCs! JDRF depends on Grassroots Advocacy more than ever before in AND outside of Washington, to make a truly lasting impact for those living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). And as such, we graciously thank our Advocacy Team Chairs around the country for their dedication. Be sure to check back regularly as we feature our Advocacy Team Chairs each week.

Meet Dan Lankford, the Advocacy Team Chair (ATC) for JDRF’s Central Pennsylvania Chapter

Dan Lankford is the Advocacy Team Chair (ATC) for JDRF’s Central Pennsylvania chapter. Dan’s connection to type 1 diabetes (T1D) is his thirteen-year-old son, Trey, who was diagnosed in June 2012. In the face of this diagnosis, Dan became involved in JDRF Advocacy to do all he could to support his son. He jokes, “Since I’m not smart enough to come up with a cure, I did the next best thing and joined the board of the Central Pennsylvania chapter.”

While Dan may not be one of the scientists working on the artificial pancreas, through JDRF Advocacy he is paving the way for funding that helps further research in areas such as the artificial pancreas. He says one of the most rewarding aspects of JDRF Advocacy is “hearing about human trials for the beta cell encapsulation, or the artificial pancreas, and knowing that money allocated to the Special Diabetes Program is directly responsible for these advances.” (If you want to know more about the Special Diabetes Program, click here.) He says it feels great whenever a Member of Congress signs onto a program JDRF has been advocating, because in those instances the impact of JDRF Advocacy is evident.

Though Dan acknowledges it can sometimes be difficult to arrange meetings with some Members of Congress, the ones that do take place are a great opportunity for education about life with T1D and the work of JDRF. “We brought a local family who had a 5 year old with T1D, and the Congressman offered her a coke and lollipop,” Dan said. “It was a great teaching moment.”

He emphasizes that members of the JDRF community must remember that finding a cure for diabetes is a bi-partisan issue and that government leaders work to represent the people. Dan explains that by advocating for the medical and economic benefits of better T1D treatments and ultimately, a cure, legislation can be passed to provide more research funding.

To sum up his JDRF Advocacy experience in just six words, Dan says he is “Taking control to cure my son.”