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by Terri Ramey, parent of Mid Jersey delegate, Abbey Ramey
Senator Frank Lautenberg poses with his granddaughter Maddie Birer and
Nick Jonas, both type 1 diabetics. |
“One of
those experiences in life you will never replicate …” That
is the brief description of Abigail Ramey’s JDRF 2009 Children’s
Congress experience. And what an experience!
From
the moment our train arrived at Penn Station in Washington, D.C., we knew
that this
trip had the potential to turn into something we would
never
forget.
It was apparent from the detailed schedules we received that the planning
and preparation for our time together as the 2009 Children’s Congress
had begun many months prior to our coming together.
Of course, the
common thread that bound the group was that each and every delegate had type
1
diabetes. Although the participants and their families
had traveled
from all 50 states and six countries, and all were diagnosed with type
1 at various ages, each had their own touching story to offer and message
to communicate.
As
advocates such as Nick Jonas, Mary Tyler Moore and Sugar Ray Leonard (to
name a few) testified
before Congress, one thing was apparent:
each
person
in attendance
shared the common goal of gaining support for the Special Diabetes
Program. Although the Children’s Congress was comprised only of type
1 diabetics, the proposed Special Diabetes Program has the potential to aid
research
for other chronic
diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s and various types
of cancer as well.
With
this in mind, delegates knew that it was extremely important to do their
best to make an
impression during their personal
meetings
with their
respective
state’s representatives and congressmen. We even had a chance
to show our support of the program to President Obama, as we were
fortunate enough
to meet
with him as a group (the delegates even posed on the steps of the
White House for a photo, how amazing!).
Although
we worked tirelessly during the three days we spent in Washington, D.C.,
the opportunity
to meet new friends, network with other families and speak with our state
representatives was something that we
will always remember.
What
we have realized after this trip is that our work has just begun – we
are excited to continue sharing our support for the Special Diabetes
Program. We hope that you join us in our passion to find a
cure for type 1 diabetes and support research for other chronic
illnesses.
