An Appleton teen recently spoke with some of the top Wisconsin decision-makers in the U.S. government about her experiences living with Type 1 diabetes and the importance of maintaining research funding.
Darby Peter, 14, was one of more than 100 children ages 4 to 17 with Type 1 diabetes selected to be a member of the 2011 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Children’s Congress, which took place June 20-22 in Washington, D.C.
Held every two years, the event provides selected youth with the opportunity to help members of Congress understand what life with Type 1 diabetes is like and why research to find a cure is so critical.
“I felt really special and I was really glad to be there,” said Darby, who submitted an application and wrote an essay late last summer before being selected as a member of the Children’s Congress.
In Washington, D.C., she spoke with Rep. Reid Ribble, R-De Pere, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and an aide from the office of Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis.
“We … were asking them to help us get the FDA to approve a thing called the artificial pancreas, which would basically mean everyone with diabetes would have good control because it would give us our insulin when we needed it,” Darby said. “We wouldn’t have to poke our fingers anymore.”
The artificial pancreas, which represents Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s first step toward dramatically improving the lives of millions of people with Type 1 diabetes, is an automated system that disperses insulin based on real-time changes in blood sugar levels.
Darby was 3 when doctors determined she had Type 1 diabetes. She initially took up to six shots of insulin per day. She’s now on an insulin pump and her quality of life has dramatically improved, she said.
“I’m incredibly proud of her,” said Darby’s mother, Cathy Peter.
“This disease makes children grow up incredibly fast. They have to take on these enormous responsibilities. We’ve been involved with JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), which provides so much hope to our family. And I think Darby gets gratification out of feeling empowered when she can go and speak to people about her life and about the help we need with research moving forward.”
