Nathaniel Plummer is an amazing 13-year-old from Apopka who will be heading to Washington, DC, on July 9th to meet face-to-face with top decision-makers in the US Government at the JDRF Children’s Congress. Out of over 800 candidates that applied, Nathaniel stood out and will be representing his Greater Orlando community. He is an accomplished saxophonist, trombone player, and AAU Travel Team Basketball player despite being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 4.
Plummer raised over $5,000 for JDRF at our annual Orlando One Walk this past April, placing him as one of our top 10 teams.
He will also be calling on members of Congress to renew the Special Diabetes Program (SDP), which is a federal program currently funded at $150 million per year to support research to prevent, cure and treat T1D; it is set to expire in September. Through this request, He will be sharing about living with type 1 diabetes and why research to fund life-changing therapies until a cure can be found is so critical.
Plummer will join more than 160 other youth from across the country to meet with their Members of Congress and other key decision-makers to inform them of the critical role they can play in supporting the T1D community.
“I have been living with Type One Diabetes for nine years," Plummer said on the JDRF Instagram page. "I was diagnosed when I was 4.5. I have two amazing little sisters, Madison and Savannah. I remember being surprised to learn I had this disease that I had never even heard of. I was scared, not knowing what was happening to me. I remember running from my parents and hiding behind toilets, being so frightened to take a shot.”
Throughout the event, these youth—ages 4 to 17—will participate in leadership and character-building programming, interact with T1D role models, and engage in a number of activities on the Hill, including attending a Senate hearing to share personal testimonies that highlight the challenges of living with T1D and the need for continued Federal funding through the Special Diabetes Program.
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 issue that requires a global response.
“Every day these youth and their parents face the burden of type 1 diabetes and—by sharing their stories—they become powerful advocates in the fight to end this disease,” said Jennifer Sifrit, Development Manager for JDRF Northern Florida Chapter. “Children’s Congress empowers the T1D youth community to speak with a unified voice to urge Federal leaders to help us achieve affordable insulin and to continue funding the Special Diabetes Program.”
Serving as Chair for JDRF 2023 Children’s Congress will be Natalie Stanback of Lewisville, Texas, whose daughter, Nadia, 11, was diagnosed with T1D at age 3. In addition to Stanback’s volunteer engagement at the Northern Texas and Oklahoma Chapter, she is also a devoted advocate and has served in panel discussions and roundtables addressing the importance of achieving affordable insulin for all who need it. As Chair of the event, she will help engage, support, and energize all these Delegates and their families as they participate in our programs and prepare for their advocacy efforts up on Capitol Hill.
About JDRF Children’s Congress
The JDRF Children’s Congress T1D advocacy program was inspired by a boy from Massachusetts named Tommy Solo. One day, at age nine, he asked his mother, “Why can’t kids go to Washington and tell their Representatives about what it is like to have type 1 diabetes and let them know that we want scientists to find a cure?” His mom and other JDRF volunteers agreed, and in 1999, the first-ever JDRF Children’s Congress took place in Washington, D.C.
Since then, 11 successful Children’s Congresses have been held, one every other year, and more than 1,000 kids with T1D have served as Delegates. JDRF Children’s Congress has been essential to securing continued government funding of T1D research and raising awareness of the daily burden of Americans living with this serious autoimmune disease.
Delegates form lifelong friendships, meet T1D role models, develop leadership skills, and leave Children’s Congress empowered to use their voices for the change that will improve their lives and the lives of all people affected by T1D.
To learn more about JDRF Children’s Congress, please visit http://cc.jdrf.org/.
About JDRF
JDRF’s mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.5 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 and globally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a global 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 five international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement, and our vision of a world without T1D.
For more information, please visit jdrf.org.
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