Age: 14
Age at T1D diagnosis: 10

After Ben was diagnosed with T1D, his parents had his three younger brothers tested for T1D autoantibodies, and his younger brother Zach turned out to have four out of five of them. Their family was able to get Zach (and Ben) involved in several clinical trials before and after Zach also received a T1D diagnosis. Now the whole family is incredibly involved with the JDRF Western New York Chapter, where their mom is a board member. They’ve participated in JDRF One Walk events, the Journey to a Cure Gala, and Annual Conference.This past year, they raised $6,000 with Ben as the captain of their JDRF One Walk team “It’s all about Benjamins, Zach and a Cure.” Ben thinks an event like Children’s Congress is important because “I believe kids like me can speak out and make a big difference!” He looks forward to bringing a lot of enthusiasm to D.C. this summer.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_vvs1UUie3Y

“Two Western New York teens lobby congress for diabetes research,” WKBW ABC7, July 5, 2019

“Bemus Point teen participates in Children’s Congress event,” Observer Today, July 28, 2019