The Breakthrough T1D Children’s Congress took place July 7–9, 2025 in Washington D.C. We’re extremely proud of our Northern California Delegates: Chase, 17, of Los Altos Hills; Everett, 14, of Redwood City; Juliet, 16, of Palo Alto; Landon, 4, of El Dorado Hills; Olivia, 10, of Petaluma; Reese, 14, of Mill Valley; and Spencer, 16, of Kentfield. Here’s what some of them had to say about their time at Children’s Congress:
CHASE
My favorite memory was meeting Senator Susan Collins. I was so impressed with her dedication to the Special Diabetes Bill and her support for our community. I learned that we are getting closer to a cure every day! I hope the leaders learned how burdensome it is for kids to live daily lives with T1D. It’s not just a disease where you can can take a shot a day and forget about it. It is 24/7, 365 days a years of management. I am so proud to have served as a delegate this year and I will always remember my time in DC!
EVERETT
My favorite memory was seeing the bond between all of the people, and how despite its difficulty, diabetes united us all. Spending time with my dad and seeing everyone relate over humorous stories about T1D experiences was great. I learned that advocacy doesn’t have to be a huge event like Children’s Congress. Advocacy can be all sorts of things. From sharing your experiences to joining Breakthrough T1D Walk. Either way, advocacy is one of the most important things we can do. I hope the nations’ leaders learned HOW important funding T1D research is, and that to cut it would be devastating to people with T1D. It’s very important that they properly represent our needs.
JULIET
My favorite memory was seeing the Senate meeting. It was amazing to see in real time the actions being taken to further funding for the SDP, and seeing how much Congress really cares about our T1D stories was incredible. Through the Children’s Congress I learned that there is so much hope for the future of T1D, and that Congress wants to help us find a cure. I hope that our nation’s leaders learned that T1D is a tiring and ruthless disease that won’t rest until it’s cured. I hope they took our stories to heart and decide to vote to continue funding the SDP so that more research can be done to help those living with T1D.
OLIVIA
My favorite memory was getting to go to Capitol Hill because it was really cool to be able to go to the Senate floor. This felt really special and I know it was a rare opportunity. It was amazing to hear the Senators talking about T1D and hear some of the delegates testifying. I learned the importance of advocating for these critical issues. It was impactful to see how meeting in-person and making a personal connection can really make an impact on our nation’s leaders. Even while participating in Children’s Congress the delegates had to manage their diabetes. One of the kids in our group had to change her insulin pump in the middle of our meeting. This was important because we were able to show the staff how you can never take a break from diabetes and you sometimes have to change your insulin pump site when you are in the middle of meeting with a Senator! I hope that our nation’s leaders learned that it is critical for insulin to be affordable and that it is necessary that they renew the SDP when it expires in September.
REESE
My favorite memory was talking with other delegates after all of our meetings with Congress had finished. We all had experienced different conversations, but were able to bond and discuss things that I can’t relate to with any other group of people. I heard many other people use the phrase “diabetic burn out” while I was in DC. This made me realize that I wasn’t alone in feeling constantly exhausted from having to manage T1D. I learned that people will even go off of their devices for short periods of time to take a break from the sometimes faulty technology. In the future, I know this is something I will want to do when I feel the “diabetic burn out”. Being in the Capitol Building and seeing our country’s decision makers allowed me to see and understand the importance of Children’s Congress. Most of our Senators come from a much older generation, and aren’t very exposed to or aware of the technology we rely on today. Additionally, we are the experts in this situation and it makes such a difference for us, the kids who experience the disease firsthand, to influence their decisions. I hope our nation’s leaders see this as well and know that we deserve to be heard and understood.
SPENCER
My favorite memory was sitting in the Senate hearing during the Capitol Hill day and being able to watch how Congressmen really did care about our advocacy and cause. Something I learned along the trip is that I really do have such a great community with Breakthrough T1D. Throughout the trip I was astonished on how truly kind and helpful everyone was with issues related to diabetes or even personal issues. I hope that our nation’s leaders learned just how scary and harmful this disease can be to everyone living with it. I hope they realize just how important the SDP is to making sure all diabetics live in a safe and happy life.
Everyone can help secure continued Federal funding for critical T1D research. Become an Advocate and urge your U.S. Senators to co-sponsor the Special Diabetes Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 to ensure critical type 1 diabetes (#T1D) funding continues to fuel progress toward cures by visiting BreakthroughT1D.org/SDPAct
