Thankfully, Rep. Van Hollen's office prefers to initiate scheduling requests via email, so dashing off an email requesting our Promise to Remember Me meeting was a breeze. This meeting served a dual purpose as JDRF would also be presenting Rep. Van Hollen with the Hero Award which we were unable to present during Children's Congress. As such, our objective was to schedule the meeting during a time which Larry Soler, EVP of Government Relations and Operations (and constituent of Rep. Van Hollen), could attend. Coordinating the vacation schedules in August of these two important people is a challenge in and of itself! In the initial scheduling request, specific dates we knew that would be available were proposed and thankfully with only a couple of "back-and-forths" with the scheduling coordinator, we had a date and time scheduled. It was important, however, to make sure the follow-up was consistent with the scheduling coordinator, as while this is only ONE meeting to JDRF, its one of hundred requests the office receives each week!
After the meeting was scheduled, quite a few anxious constituents were excited to attend this Promise meeting, including the Children's Congress delegate from his district. The mix of attendees was a great representation of the population affected by this disease. A child and a teen living with type 1 diabetes, and their parents, who support their diabetes management on a daily basis, along with two young adults with type 1 were present. Also in attendance were a staff member in Representative Van Hollen's office who has a child with type 1 diabetes and two representatives of JDRF, including one living with type 1 diabetes and one parent of a child with type 1.
The presentation of the Hero Award was a special addition we all got to witness. Larry Soler lauded Rep. Van Hollen for his ongoing support of JDRF in Congress. That award easily parlayed into a round-table type conversation about type 1 diabetes, which covered the struggles of managing type 1 diabetes; the desire for additional funding for research and clinical trials; and the future of healthcare reform and its benefits for type 1 diabetics. The conversation focused especially on the area of coverage for pre-existing conditions and "aging out" of parents’ insurance policies, as the percentage of children being diagnosed at younger ages with type 1 diabetes is growing.
This meeting was a really "comfortable” meeting - it felt like a group of old friends sitting around, talking about the issues of the day. Each person had a chance to contribute in an area they felt strongly about and everyone left with a renewed feeling of hope that with people such as Rep. Van Hollen helping our cause, a cure must just be around the corner!
Nancy Stopper
Promise Campaign Coordinator
Recruitment Leader, JDRF Capitol Chapter, DC