Since November is Diabetes Awareness Month, we must bring attention to this growing and burdensome disease. Over 6.9 percent of people have diabetes in Washington and many of them are already suffering from complications of this disease.
But there is hope in the Special Diabetes Program, which provides 35 percent of federal funding for diabetes research and is making real progress in diabetes treatment and prevention efforts and is getting us closer to a cure!
This program is especially important to me as my children were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes nine years ago. My daughter Chloe, who was 4 at the time, was diagnosed first and my 22-year-old son Leighton was diagnosed one day later. My family, and the people of Washington, desperately need a cure. This program is making progress in getting us one.
Both Chloe and Leighton have been actively involved in helping to raise funds toward a cure, by being co-ambassadors for the 2008 Nordstrom Beat the Bridge event, and by raising thousands each year over the last eight years. I have also been actively pursuing this cure by serving on the Seattle Board of Directors for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation the past five years.
Thankfully, Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray have strong histories of supporting diabetes research and this program. Chloe and I had the opportunity to meet with Sen. Cantwell and the staff of Sen. Murray when Chloe was a delegate to JDRF’s 2009 Children’s Congress. Both senators were extremely supportive of the Special Diabetes Program, and we are tremendously grateful for their commitment to finding a cure.
Sens. Cantwell and Murray worked hard in 2008 to secure a renewal of this vital program. I trust that they will again work to ensure that federal funding for diabetes research does not diminish and provide this program with multi-year funding.
I know that both Washington senators will remember Chloe and Leighton and keep our hope of a cure alive by ensuring the Special Diabetes Program receives its multi-year renewal this year!
Mark Bacik
Edmonds
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