A Letter To A Congressman

(Lauren Kotwicki wrote the following letter to US Representative James H. Maloney for the RespecTeen competition.)

 

Dear Representative Maloney,

My name is Lauren Kotwicki, and I am a thirteen-year-old eighth grader at Newtown Middle School. I am writing to you today regarding a very important issue that affects me daily, it literally is a life and death situation.

I am asking you to please consider voting for increased federal funding for Diabetes Type One and Two research. If we could cure this disease in the near future, we would save hundreds of millions of dollars in healthcare and hospital expenses, and would eliminate the pain and suffering for millions of people. I have done research to find out new studies being held. I found that in Florida and Canada doctors are transplanting islet cells into patients.

Mr Maloney, I have been a Type One diabetic for over five years. I take insulin injections two to three times a day, and test my blood sugar four to six times a day. Since my pancreas is obsolete, I have to count on this very expensive life saving medicine and a strict diet, to try to keep my blood sugar as normal as possible. It is extremely hard because I must monitor exactly when I eat, how much I eat, and when I exercise. To other kids a class trip is packing a bag, and being ready to go, but for me it is a panic situation, hoping that we will eat on time and that it will not be too strenuous on me. It is a very delicate balance of food, insulin, and exercise everyday.

Did you know that Diabetes is the major underlying cause of heart attacks, strokes, amputations, and blindness? If we could eliminate Diabetes we would be saving all of these hospital costs, not to mention the equality of life.

I try to do my part by raising money for research by doing walk-a-thons and saving my babysitting money to donate for Diabetes research. I thought that by writing this letter and informing you of my situation and countless others, that I would be doing an even bigger part and securing my future.

Mr Maloney if you could just take the time and think about more federal funding for Diabetic research, you would make this eighth grader a very happy constituent.

Sincerely yours,

Lauren Kotwicki