Bay Area girl heads to DC to lobby for type 1 diabetes research

TREASURE ISLAND (FOX 13) - Samantha Singh from Treasure Island is about to become a lobbyist, and she’s just 10 years old.

“It is really a once in a life time opportunity I could really make a difference in the lives of so many people,” she said.

She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, at just 3-years-old. It's a more rare condition than type 2. 

“Cells attack your pancreas, insulin-producing beta cells, and that kills your pancreas so it produces no insulin at all. That’s why I wear this insulin pump,” she described.

Monday, Samantha will be among the 2017 JDRF Children's Congress members. It is a group of about 150 kids who'll fly to Washington, DC to lobby congressional leaders for continued funding for juvenile diabetes research.

”We get overlooked a lot type 1 diabetes it's invisible you can’t tell,” Samantha said.

“It is a $150 million it gets renewed every year it’s a two-year thing we're going to ask for three years this time,” said her mother Joyce Singh.

Imagine being a lawmaker, and listening to Samantha explain what living with type 1 is really like.
      
”You can't just go to Disney and say I’m going to forget about diabetes for the day I'd end up in the hospital,” she said.

“I’m very proud of her. There's not many kids that can speak in front of an adult or classroom Sam’s been doing it for years,” said her mother. 

“It’s a huge honor. How many 10-year-olds get to do that?” Samantha Singh said.