We proudly introduce you to our local representation at the 2015 JDRF Children’s Congress:

Meet Ayame, Washington, D.C. delegate
Age: 6
Age at T1D diagnosis: 4
Aya wants everyone to know that funding research to cure Type 1 Diabetes is SUPER important for her and all of the T1D community!

Aya has only had T1D for about a year, but she is already an avid advocate for research and innovation. On National T1D Awareness Day last year, she proudly ran in a 5K Color Run, donning a shirt that read, “I am a type 1 diabetic” to help spread awareness. Her birthday cake substitute—sugar–free Jell–O—created an opportunity to inform her friends about T1D. Aya also loves taking ballet lessons, making up her own songs, and participating in Girl Scouts, including overnight camping trips and badge projects, as a Daisy Scout. As part of a military family, Aya’s diagnosis means planning for meals and educating others about her T1D every time the family relocates. Since adaptability and resilience are already part of Aya’s life, they have helped her accept the new reality of T1D.

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Meet Chase, Maryland delegate
Age: 8
Age at T1D diagnosis: 1
Chase gives a plea to Congress to fund JDRF and find a cure for type 1 diabetes, so children like him won’t need to get insulin shots anymore!

This is Chase’s second year serving as a Youth Ambassador for JDRF with his sister, who also lives with T1D, (featured below). The siblings have advocated for awareness together, organizing a JDRF Walk at their school and inviting a JDRF representative to speak about T1D. A well–rounded child, involved in Scouts, gymnastics and LEGOs, Chase’s ambition is to play for the NFL. Chase’s hopes for a cure for the disease are related to his sister, too. If a cure is developed, he says, “I will be able to sleep all night, sleep over at a friend’s house, and eat whatever I want. I would like to have a normal life. All the funding for type 1 diabetes is making great advances for me and my sister to have a better, healthier life.”

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Meet Kiara, Maryland delegate
Age: 12
Age at T1D diagnosis: 5
Changing the lyrics to her favorite song, Kiara tells Congress, “Don’t let it go!” and fund JDRF to find a cure for diabetes!

Technology has changed Kiara’s life. Both Kiara and her brother Chase began using the Animas Ping Pump in 2013, which means the two siblings don’t need to endure six to eight needles each day. They also rely on the Dexcom CGM, so they don’t have to do as many finger tests. Yet even with these developments, as Kiara puts it, “My life is different than most kids’. I have to take extra steps before activities to make sure my sugars are okay, and that I stay safe.” Kiara is a student government representative, serves on the yearbook, plays the violin and does horseback riding, volleyball and basketball, all in addition to her T1D advocacy work. When she grows up, she plans to continue giving back in big ways as a pediatric endocrinologist.

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Meet Catherine, Virginia delegate
Age: 15
Age at T1D diagnosis: 1
Catherine doesn’t let diabetes get in her way!

When Catherine received her first pump in second grade, she told friends “it was a cool, secret gadget that only the best children in the world got.” Now she says, “I wish I could maintain that confident and high spirit about diabetes, but once you get older, it’s a lot harder.” Yet Catherine’s commitment to finding a cure—and to enjoying her life until a cure is found—is evident in her passions: writing, dancing, volleyball and playing drums and violin are just a handful. She spreads awareness of T1D on social media, mentors newly diagnosed kids, has attended a JDRF Gala in Washington and participates in diabetes camp each year. “A cure may seem far away,” she says, “but at the same time, you need to travel far to reach the stars.”

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About Children’s Congress:

Every two years, more than 150 children living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) gather in Washington, D.C., to meet face-to-face with some of the top decision-makers in the U.S. government. The children, ages 4 to 17, represent all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The delegates in JDRF’s Children’s Congress enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help Members of Congress understand what life with T1D is like and why research to fund life-changing therapies until a cure can be found is so critical. They speak up on behalf of the millions of people living with T1D and the families and friends who love them. This passionate group of advocates inspires us all.

Click here to read more about Children’s Congress!