Maplewood Youth to Lobby Congress to Continue Diabetes Research

Sean Coley, a six-year-old Maplewood resident, will travel to Washington D.C. in July with 160 other children from around the country as part of the JDRF 2015 Children’s Congress.

According to a release, the children will lobby to Congress to continue supporting research for type 1 diabetes. The event, which is held every other summer, will include congressional visits by the delegates and a congressional committee hearing, during which selected delegates and celebrity advocates will testify on the need for continued funding for type 1 diabetes research.

Sean’s mother, Nadira Coley, said that her son’s participation in the upcoming event is a good opportunity to share his story with Congress members.

“As with any chronic illness, T1D is an emotional roller coaster that unfortunately has no height or age requirements,” Coley stated in a release.

“Many people base the severity of an illness on a person’s physical appearance. With the exception of the medical bracelet located on his left arm and blue insulin pump worn around his waist, the world would have no clue of the illness that resides inside of Sean’s body. Attending children’s congress will further educate congress about the unseen medical condition that lies underneath Sean’s hopeful brown eyes and contagious smile. Our family is proud to have been chosen to be a part of JDRF’s Children’s Congress and look forward to changing Type One to Type None.”

For more information about the Children’s Congress program, visit the JDRF website.