Sam Bearman: Veteran diabetes advocate

I have been a diabetes advocate ever since I was a little kid.  When I was in kindergarten and first grade, I would bring my test kit into school and show everybody how it worked.  Nobody made fun of me because they could see that I was not embarrassed and I think it helped the other kids understand diabetes. 

When I was six, I became the youngest kid in the region on an insulin pump.  People were nervous about it but I really wanted to go on the pump because I was very active in sports and my blood sugars were all over the place.  I was sick of eating on a schedule. My doctor agreed and we both convinced everyone else that it was a good idea.  I demonstrated my pump to everyone and they all thought it was pretty cool because it looked like a cell phone.  Many of my friends have joined me in the Walk to Cure Diabetes because they see what I have to go through.

Another thing I think is important is to participate in research studies to help find a cure. Most of the clinical trials I have been in have involved having my blood drawn and completing questionnaires or trying new devices.  I had an injection that left a scar on my arm.  I was in two trials for an automatic glucose monitor, two pump trials, and numerous other studies.  My sister has been in a study ever since she was a baby in hopes of finding the cause of diabetes. 

Every year, my family and I write a letter to everyone we know explaining what it is like to have diabetes and how important it is to support diabetes research.  Even though it is hard to tell people about my life with diabetes, people with diabetes have to work together to help find a cure.  No one will care if we don't tell them about it.  We have raised a lot of money but it still is not enough to fund a cure.

This year in school we had a mock Congress and I got to see what it is like to write my own bill and how it could be passed or vetoed.  Now I have a chance to tell my story to our legislators.  We are so close to finding a cure, and if we can convince them we might be able to find it in time for all the kids who have to deal with diabetes every day.  I am excited to learn more about our government and see if I can make a difference.