Jackson Colton, age 12, of Lincoln, RI, Lilly Lashar, age 17, of Hingham, MA and Chloe Pena, age 13, of Warwick, RI were chosen by JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, to join a delegation of their peers and celebrity advocates in Washington, D.C. this summer at JDRF 2019 Children’s Congress from July 8-10. Jackson, Lilly, and Chloe will join more than 160 other children from around the U.S. to lobby their Members of Congress and remind them of the vital need to support T1D research that could reduce the burden of this disease and ultimately find a cure.

These children—ages 4 to 17, and representing all 50 states—will participate in a number of activities on the Hill, including a Congressional Committee hearing to share personal testimonies that highlight the challenges of living with T1D and the need for continued funding for research projects such as the Special Diabetes Program (SDP).

Joining the U.S. Delegates will be five International Delegates traveling from Australia, Canada, Israel, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Together, the Delegates will help to convey to the Federal Government that T1D is a global problem that requires a global effort.

“Every day these children and their parents face the burden of type one diabetes and by sharing their stories they become powerful advocates in the fight to end this disease,” said Aaron Kowalski, JDRF President and CEO. “The Delegates are a representation of millions of other families who need the support of the government. Children’s Congress gives the T1D youth community a unified voice in front of Congress and a way to urge our government leaders to continue supporting research.” Read more about our delegates below.

Chloe, diagnosed at age 11, is a bright light who brings positivity everywhere she goes. She stays busy between playing on a Unified basketball team and running cross country, and loves to hang out with her friends in her free time. Chloe is especially proud of getting into honors math, English and social studies classes at her school. She enjoys helping others, and when she grows up she plans to become a surgeon. Since Chloe was diagnosed with T1D two years ago, she and her family have become incredible advocates for the T1D community, and are doing all they can to support T1D research. Chloe says, “My family has always had my back and I know that they always will!”

Lilly, diagnosed at age 13, makes sure to include time for giving back to others as part of her already busy schedule of school, track and lacrosse. She is a member of Boston Children’s Hospital’s Teen Advisory Committee, a group of 25 teens with T1D who collaborate to develop ways to help fellow teens living with T1D gain more independence, and come up with ideas on how to increase awareness surrounding the disease. Lilly has also received a Citizenship Award at school, and was an ambassador for Project 351. She and her family have created “Team Lillylulu” and “A Dad’s 100-Mile Trek” fundraisers to spread awareness and have participated in many JDRF One Walks in Boston and Lilly has spoken at several JDRF events. Lilly has also spoken at the Nantucket fishing tournament “The Big Game Battle” where her dad participated and JDRF was chosen as the charity of choice. Lilly looks forward to using her voice at Children’s Congress, saying, “I really enjoy speaking to people about type 1 diabetes, and the realities of what it’s like to live with it.”

Since Jackson was diagnosed at age 6, he has progressed from finger sticks and insulin injections to CGM and insulin pump site changes. Jackson is grateful for the advancements in T1D technology because they allow him to manage his T1D with a bit more ease, especially while he’s on the basketball court! When he’s not playing basketball, Jackson is active with his local JDRF Chapter, from delivering Bags of Hope to recently diagnosed children and their families, to raising $30,000 with Team Super Jack for the JDRF One Walk Rhode Island. Jackson is ready to take his passion to D.C. because “there are more and more people being diagnosed with this horrible disease every single day, and they need awareness and support from our leaders in Congress!”

Serving as Chair for JDRF 2019 Children’s Congress will be Katama Eastman of New York, NY, whose 15-year-old daughter, Merrill was diagnosed with T1D at 15 months. Eastman is Board President of the JDRF New York City / Long Island Chapter. As Chair of the event, she will help engage, support and energize all these Delegates and their families during the advocacy efforts up on Capitol Hill.

For a video of highlights from JDRF 2017 Children’s Congress, please click here.

 About JDRF Children’s Congress

JDRF Children’s Congress was inspired by (then) eight-year-old Tommy Solo from Massachusetts, in 1999. He overheard adult JDRF volunteers talking about going to Washington, D.C. to talk to Congress and thought it was important that children go, too, and make their voices heard. JDRF Children’s Congress inspires national lawmakers to remember the children who live with T1D when making decisions about medical research funding and voting on other important Federal Government issues relating to diabetes. The young Delegates’ personal stories, told in their own words, are often more powerful than almost any other type of education a legislator and staff can receive.

Tommy’s idea quickly became a well-developed event, first held in 1999. Since then, JDRF Children’s Congress has occurred every other year.

To learn more about JDRF Children’s Congress, please visit http://cc.jdrf.org/.

About JDRF

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.2 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our six international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter: @JDRF