By Oliver Shane

Welcome back. I can’t believe it’s already April and summer is just around the corner. This year has flown by quickly, maybe because we were able to have in person contact to break the monotony of COVID isolation. I take the SAT tomorrow which seems like a rite of passage for any teen who wants to go to college. Then before you know it, finals are here and so is summer.
JDRF 2023 Children’s Congress will be in-person this summer from July 9-11, 2023. This will be the first time since 2019 that 165 youth (ages 4 to 17 years) from across the country with type 1 diabetes (T1D) will gather with their parents in Washington, D.C., to advocate on behalf of JDRF.

Thanks to the volunteer-led selection committee, I was chosen to be a Delegate for Palm Beach County, Florida! I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity for many reasons. For starters, by selecting me for this privilege, JDRF trusts that I will represent them and their goals. As a teen, this is a big nod that I can handle the responsibility. My goal is to get JDRF’s message across and to put a face to those impacted by this disease. T1D is a devasting illness and we need government support to improve the lives of all people with the disease on our path to cures.

JDRF 2023 Children’s Congress Delegates will focus on two critical Advocacy initiatives:

• Building bipartisan support within Congress for a renewal of the Special Diabetes Program (SDP), which currently provides $150 million per year for T1D research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

• Accelerating progress towards insulin affordability for all who need it.

While in Washington, I hope to use my voice to support these critical topics, which will lead to a better life for everyone impacted by T1D. I hope I can live up to the honor of being selected and speak well for our cause. There is strong momentum now for both finding cures and lowering the cost of insulin for all who need it. JDRF 2023 Children’s Congress will continue this momentum!

The other amazing part of attending Children’s Congress is meeting other youth like me. We’ve already had two Zoom calls, and I can tell by the questions and the energy that we are all united in a way that has not happened since I volunteered at a camp for children with T1D. I hope to make lasting friendships and create great memories. Plus, I have never even been to our nation’s capital! Most importantly, I will try my best to make the Greater Palm Beach and Treasure Coast Chapter proud, and to ensure my Representative and Senators learn more about how they can help their constituents with T1D. Thank you again!