San Anselmo Teen Heading to Capitol Hill for JDRF

Jamie Kurtzig, age 14 of San Anselmo, has been selected by JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, to join a delegation of youth advocates in Washington, D.C. this summer at JDRF 2019 Children’s Congress from July 8-10. The Delegates will be lobbying their Members of Congress to remind them of the vital need to continue supporting T1D research that could reduce the burden of this disease and ultimately find a cure.

The children—ages 4 to 17, representing all 50 states—will participate in a number of activities on the Hill, including a Congressional Committee hearing to share personal testimonies that highlight the challenges of living with T1D and the need for continued funding for research projects such as the Special Diabetes Program (SDP).

Jamie is deeply committed to helping to raise awareness about T1D and advocating for the community, which she’s done by leading JDRF One Walk events, being a Youth Ambassador at TypeOneNation Summits and writing a JDRF blog. In 2018, Jamie was the Fund A Cure speaker at the JDRF Hope Gala and received the “Living and Giving” award with her family by the Greater Bay Area chapter—and the event raised over $2.8 million. Jamie is excited to join Children’s Congress. “I dream of a world without type 1 diabetes. I know we can make it happen. Let’s make T1D history together!”

When Jamie isn’t advocating for T1D, she is the associate concertmaster of the Marin Symphony Youth Crescendo Orchestra, in addition to playing with a chamber music group and performing arts festivals. Jamie also loves writing poetry, taekwondo (she is a 2nd degree black belt), fencing, spending time with friends and family and traveling to new, exciting places.

Joining the U.S. Delegates will be five International Delegates traveling from Australia, Canada, Israel, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Together, the JDRF Youth Delegates will convey a clear message to the Federal Government that T1D is a global problem that requires a global effort.

About JDRF Children’s Congress

JDRF Children’s Congress was inspired by (then) eight-year-old Tommy Solo from Massachusetts, in 1999. He overheard adult JDRF volunteers talking about going to Washington, D.C. to talk to Congress and thought it was important that children go, too, and make their voices heard. JDRF Children’s Congress inspires national lawmakers to remember the children who live with T1D when making decisions about medical research funding and voting on other important Federal Government issues relating to diabetes. The young Delegates’ personal stories, told in their own words, are often more powerful than almost any other type of education a legislator and staff can receive. Tommy’s idea quickly became a well-developed event, first held in 1999. Since then, JDRF Children’s Congress has occurred every other year.To learn more about JDRF Children’s Congress, please visit http://cc.jdrf.org/. For a video of highlights from JDRF 2017 Children’s Congress, please click here.

About JDRF

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our mission is to improve lives today and tomorrow by accelerating 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 our inception. We are 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. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our six international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org