Kaitlin Webb: I'd Rather Not

Obviously, diabetes research means a great deal to me. It's not that I can't do this, it's that I'd rather not. I'd rather not give myself multiple shots every day. I'd rather not poke my fingertips until they are sore. I'd like to eat what I want when I want to without worrying about how it will impact me. I'd like to know that my parents don't have to worry so much about me. They try to hide it, but I know they do.

Diabetes is stressful and expensive and time consuming. While I am in Washington, D.C., I want to put a face on this disease. I'd like to tell them that it hurts and that it is 24/7 with no breaks. I'd like them to know the financial impact this disease has on families. I saw my mom's pharmacy receipt the other day and my test strips were $257 for 200 strips! That's over $1 per strip. That's a lot of money a day just to check your blood sugars to stay healthy. We have medical insurance but what do kids do who don't? How do those families manage? What if they don't test as often as they should because they can't afford it.

View Kaitlin's delegate profile.