DE PERE – Gabby Hauser of De Pere was selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 children, ages 4 to 17, to attend the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) 2019 Children’s Congress from July 8-10 in Washington, D.C., representing Wisconsin.
Held biannually, Children’s Congress is the largest media and grassroots event supporting type 1 diabetes (T1D) research.
The goal of the event is to raise awareness about T1D and to let Congressional leaders know how essential they are in advancing research and helping JDRF achieve its vision of a world without T1D.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food.
It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, called beta cells.
While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved.
Its onset has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle.
There is nothing that can be done to prevent T1D, and – at present – nothing that can be done to get rid of it.
JDRF is the leading global organization funding T1D research.
Its mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications.
To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.2 billion in research funding since its inception.
It is an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy.
It collaborates with academic institutions, policymakers and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D.
Its staff and volunteers throughout the United States and six international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and the vision of a world without T1D.