Delilah was diagnosed with T1D at the age of five in 2008. Delilah has been an active JDRF advocate from day one: she and her family have an amazing One Walk team, Team Delilah, which just celebrated their 10^th year! Delilah represented the Fairfield County Chapter as a Children’s Congress Delegate in 2009; she has modeled for several years in the Westchester/Fairfield/Hudson Valley Catwalk event and is always ready with a quick “yes” when she is asked to help JDRF.

Her father, Nick, serves on the NYC Chapter’s Board of Directors; her mother, Anastasia, has been a co-chair of our Catwalk event for the past several years and is an outstanding mentor. Anastasia also has T1D and she and Delilah have been national spokespeople for JDRF sharing their story at various galas within the region and on national news programs.

This year Nick and Anastasia were the honorees for the NYC/LI 45^th Promise Ball where Delilah participated as a Fund-a-Cure speaker. We wanted to share her speech here:

Hello, I’m Delilah Brien. It’s such an honor to be on this stage looking out at a room full of people who support our mission. Thank you to our family and friends and my dad’s colleagues and all of you who are here tonight because someone you care about has been touched by type 1 diabetes.

JDRF has been an amazing outlet for our family to channel our energy and power into something positive. Through Team Delilah we have raised almost $400,000 for research. Yes, our main goal is to fund a cure for T1D but even since my diagnosis, JDRF has helped fund technology that has changed my life for the better.

When I was diagnosed at age 5 my parents had to prick my finger 15 times a day, both day and night. My mom had to sit in Pre-K with me because there was no nurse to take care of me and the teachers felt it was too much responsibility. But JDRF has opened so many doors for me through their nonstop effort to improve the lives of everyone affected by Type One Diabetes. Our lives were all touched by the little miracle on my stomach right now, the continuous glucose monitor.  JDRF helped fund this technology that connects to an app on my iPhone so my parents and I can see my blood sugar all the time. Not only has JDRF minimized the fear all parents and diabetics face, but given us hope for the future. As an aspiring artist, I was able to follow my passion all the way to upstate New York where I went to art camp for six weeks. As a child my parents feared the restrictions my condition would make me abide by. But I will not be restricted. I want to travel, have independence; I want to know my parents aren’t constantly worrying about me. From the days of my mom having to go to school with me to spending six weeks completely self-sufficient is an example of the impact JDRF is making on my life. We are on the precipice of a world without worry, a world without type one diabetes. Please help us get there with your donations, and thank you for coming to support us tonight.

Click here to see Delilah and her parent’s speeches.

We also wanted to share Delilah’s Children’s Congress story which was included in the 2009 Fall Fairfield County Newsletter.