A teenager will fly to Canberra this week to push for funding for research that could benefit people with type 1 diabetes or those yet to be diagnosed with it.
Freya Goldston, 15, of Buderim, will meet with Member for Fairfax Ted O’Brien and hopes to speak to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about extending funding for type 1 diabetes research.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Clinical Research Network is the main vehicle for type 1 diabetes research in Australia.
Freya will represent the Fairfax electorate at the JDRF’s Kids in the House, reminding politicians that people need for a cure for type 1 diabetes, which she has had since a baby.
She said research held the key for people with type 1 diabetes and there was no stopping until one was found.
It will be the second Kids in the House for Freya, who went to Canberra in 2018 as part of the campaign for funding.
She has grown into a vocal advocate for type 1 diabetics, and research into a cure and improved treatments for the condition.
“I’ve grown up with diabetes. It’s really interesting to see how hard it can be for some people to get what they need,” she said.
“I know I come from a place of privilege. I have a loving and supportive family and I’ve got the support I need. Not everyone has that.
“I really want to help people who have diabetes that don’t have that great support network.”
The JDRF is currently seeking another $50m in federal funding for the continuation of the CRN’s research.
Freya’s mother, Jackie Goldston said she hoped that type 1 diabetes could be prevented and that those with it could be cured.
She said Freya had already benefited from research and advances in treatment, having gone from needing 10 insulin injections a day to wearing a pump which automatically provides her body with the right amount of insulin according to what she has eaten.
She said the family had never made “a big deal” about Freya’s diabetes but was supportive of her advocacy for all type 1 diabetics.
“She’s confident and adept and talented. She needs to use all that to make a difference,” Mrs Goldston said.
Freya, a Sunshine Coast Grammar School student and competitive swimmer, said her brother, Declan, 18, had played a role in her becoming an advocate for type 1 diabetes research.
“My older brother helps me with stuff like that. That helps motivate and inspire me,” she said.
She said research was the key to people with type 1 diabetes leading a better life.
“Type one diabetes is complex to manage and leads to a life controlled, by numbers, tests and the constant threat of serious complications,” she said
“Yet we know that research is the key to improving lives for people with type 1 diabetes and the funding of the CRN is critical to achieving the goal on finding a cure.”
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