Stamford Teen Travels to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Children’s Congress in DC

Every two years, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Chairman Mary Tyler Moore descends on Washington D.C., along with more than 100 children with Type 1 diabetes, to meet with lawmakers in an effort to garner funding for diabetes research.

This year three children from Connecticut, including 14-year-old Stamford resident Tess Fox, attended the two-day Children’s Congress on June 20 and 21. As a delegate, she was excited to have the opportunity to promote continued funding for research. “I hope to develop a relationship with my members of Congress, to establish continued funding for the artificial pancreas, and to tell them my story about living with diabetes,” she said.

Fox, who was diagnosed at age 10 and attends Greenwich Catholic School, has individual meetings scheduled with U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, U.S. Rep. Jim Hines, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal to discuss the complications and burdens of living with type 1. She has prepared a 20-page scrapbook with examples like photos and charts to help illustrate her day-to-day struggles with the disease. Her goal is to help secure continued JDRF funding as well as additional funding for the artificial pancreas, a continuous glucose monitoring device that would free diabetics from having to use the insulin pump daily. “We need to bring the message home,” said Theresa Fox, Tess’ mother.

Theresa said that Tess will emphasize the criticality of Congress to support funding for research. “[Diabetes] rocks your world when your child is first diagnosed because there is a whole education component about the basics of the disease, but more importantly how to manage your child’s overall health,” Theresa said. “To go from having a presumably healthy child to having to test your child’s blood and inject her with insulin multiple times a day is not an easy thing to adapt to.”

Tess, who is an Irish step dancer, swims and plays tennis competitively, and recently had the lead in her school play, is a picture of someone who is living a full life despite her disease. She said that she has never viewed her diabetes negatively and enjoys educating friends, family, and teachers about the risks and complications of the disease. “Diabetes is very hard to live with, but it can’t stop you from living your daily life and enjoying what you want to do,” she said.

Carl Zuckerberg, a JDRF board member who also leads the organization’s government relationship committee, said that it is vitally important that individuals with Type 1 continue to raise awareness for the disease and advocate for additional research funding and medical advances. “Having a local representative is critical,” Zuckerberg said. “Tess will be representing hundreds of children with Type 1 diabetes in Fairfield County and millions more across the country. Her efforts will improve the lives of so many who deal with diabetes. Tess is a leader and hero for the millions of kids who can’t make the trip. We are very proud of her efforts and courage.”