Wheelersburg youth headed to Capitol Hill
An area youth is headed to Capitol Hill this summer to talk to lawmakers about life with Type 1 diabetes.
Ian Sarver, 9, of Wheelersburg was selected as a delegate to JDRF Children’s Congress. He will travel to Washington, D.C. with his family on July 9-11 to share his story with members of Congress and advocate for research funding and other initiatives that improve lives for people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
“I want people to know that people with Type 1 diabetes can do anything. Well, except make insulin,” he said. “I think it’s important for people to understand the signs of Type 1 diabetes. I also think it’s important to continue funding for more technology and a cure for Type 1 diabetes.”
Diagnosed at age 1, Ian has not let Type 1 diabetes get in his way. He is an excellent student, and he plays tennis and is involved in musicals.
Ian and his family got involved with JDRF and the T1D community right after he was diagnosed, and they have worked to raise awareness and drive research ever since. Ian has been interviewed on the radio and spoken to a college class. The Sarver family started a support group, Ohio River Valley T1D, that hosts a free day camp for children living with T1D in the summer.
“I am looking forward to meeting other kids with Type 1 diabetes, talking to congress and seeing DC for the first time,” Ian said.
When he grows up, Ian said, “I want to be a pediatrician because I want to help children feel better.”
Children’s Congress began in 1999. Every other year, more than 160 children living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) gather in Washington, D.C., to tell Members of Congress about life with T1D and explain why research to fund life-changing therapies and potential cures is critical.
“Children’s Congress delegates are headed to Washington for the first time since 2019, and we couldn’t be happier,” said Central Ohio Development Manager Angie Lankford of JDRF of Southern and Central Ohio. “It is so important for members of Congress to hear firsthand from young people living T1D.”
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system destroy beta cells in the pancreas that manufacture insulin. It is not related to diet or exercise. People with T1D are dependent on injected or pumped insulin to survive.
T1D seems to have a genetic component. It occurs in children and adults. Its causes are not fully known, and there is currently no cure.
The T1D index, a first-of-its-kind data simulation tool that provides a global picture of type 1 diabetes, was unveiled last year. It is a great source of information about the impact of T1D around the world.
JDRF is the largest funder of Type 1 diabetes research. Founded in 1970 by two moms determined to find a cure for their children with T1D, JDRF has expanded to become the largest charitable supporter of T1D research in the world. To learn more about JDRF Children’s Congress, please visit http://cc.jdrf.org/.