Raceland boy to advocate diabetes research – Daily Comet

By Garrett Ohlmeyer Staff Writer

An 11-year-old from Raceland will be joining about 160 other kids and celebrities in Washington, D.C., next month to advocate continued support of Type 1 diabetes research.

Rory Monier was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in November 2007 when he was just 2 years old.This fall, he will be a seventh-grader at Lockport Middle School, and he doesnt let his disease stop him from being a normal kid. Monier plays on a soccer team, plays drums in his middle school band and is involved in school clubs.

He said he was happy to be selected by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to represent those who have the disease and to share his family's story with Congress.

I want my congressman to know that kids battling Type 1 diabetes have a constant reminder that we have diabetes every time we eat or want to take part in activities, Monier said. We have daily schedules that are important in saving our lives.

The children and other delegates will share personal experiences and explain the daily struggles associated with living with the disease. The goal is to push for continued support of the Special Diabetes Program, which pays for research projects related to the disease. The program is set to expire Sept. 30.

Nine celebrities will join the children in the event. They include athletes and actors.

Type 1 diabetes is a condition that causes a person's pancreas to stop producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to gain energy from food. This happens when the immune system attacks and destroys cells in the pancreas that create the insulin.

Since Moniers diagnosis, his family has been involved with the foundation and has raised about $123,000 over the past nine years, said his mother, Kristy Monier.

Rory will travel to the nations capitol to participate in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Childrens Congress July 24-26. He was selected out of six applicants in Louisiana and more than 1,300 throughout the country.

-- Staff Writer Garrett Ohlmeyer can be reached at (985) 850-1149 or garrett.ohlmeyer@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @GOhlmeyer.

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Raceland boy to advocate diabetes research - Daily Comet