Fighting for a cause
Published 12:18 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008
Enumclaw girl taking her case to nation's capitol
By Anne Radford
The Courier-Herald
While other seventh-graders are cleaning out binders or getting last-minute signatures in yearbooks, Caity Rigg will be headed to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of the United States Congress.
There, she will urge congressional leaders to increase federal funding for research of Type 1 juvenile diabetes aimed at finding a cure for the disease.
Caity, a seventh grader at Enumclaw Middle School who enjoys playing on the school's basketball and volleyball teams, was diagnosed with Type 1 juvenile diabetes when she was 4.
"I want a cure," the 13-year-old said.
Caity has to watch her level of activity and is limited in activities such as swimming lessons or gym class depending on her level of insulin. She must test her blood sugar level six to eight times a day. She switched from taking insulin injections to an insulin pump that is attached to her stomach through a catheter 24 hours a day.
After Caity was diagnosed, her mother, Cathy Rigg, did research on the disease and the Rigg family got involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF).
"It was a way to turn anger and frustration into a passion to help find a cure for these kids," Cathy said.
JDRF was founded in 1970 and is the leading charitable funder and advocate of Type 1 diabetes research worldwide, according to the JDRF Web site (www.jdrf.org). The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research, according to the site.
Caity will be one of the 150 delegates ranging from 2 to 17 who will represent their states at the fourth Children's Congress sponsored by JDRF in Washington, D.C., from June 18-22.
The purpose of the Children's Congress is to show government leaders the suffering and complications associated with the day-to-day problems of the disease, Cathy Rigg said.
"We're telling them how bad we want a cure," Caity said.
Caity will attend a congressional hearing and meetings with congressional leaders from Washington state. President and Mrs. Bush, honorary co-chairs of the Children's Congress, are expected to be in attendance at the hearing, Cathy said.
"She will explain how important it is to increase research for juvenile diabetes," said Cathy. "It is an honor and the delegates will raise awareness and bring a face to the disease."
The theme of the event is "Promise to Remember Me." The delegates will ask Congress to support the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 and the Stem Cell Replenishment Act of 2005, according a JDRF press release.
"Stem cell research seems to be the answer for finding a cure," Cathy Rigg said.
The Children's Congress also aims to start a media campaign that will raise awareness and financial support from the general public to fund JDRF and find a cure for the disease, she added.
Caity will go to Washington, D.C., with Washington state Sen. Maria Cantwell, Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Dave Reichert. She will join the three other Children's Congress representatives from Washington state, including Laura Brindley of Mercer Island, Megan Davis of Spokane and Will Merdgen, of Woodinville.
Caity will also be the "buddy" of Maya Weiss, one of the international student representatives attending the Children's Congress. Weiss, who is from Israel, will accompany Caity to her meetings. Both Caity and Cathy will attend dinner at the Israeli Embassy.
"Hanging out with Maya will be really cool," Caity said.
Caity has raised $60,000 for JDRF since she began participating in fundraising walks when she was 5. She has participated in at least one walk a year for the past eight years, her mother said.
The South Sound Walk to Cure and the Seattle Beat the Bridge are the two JDRF-sponsored walks that take place in Western Washington each May.
Caity has been a keynote speaker at JDRF events. She went to Olympia last session to testify before the Health Committee.
She has been to Washington, D.C., on two occasions. She was invited by former Rep. Jennifer Dunn to help introduce the Medical Research Investment Act when she was 6. She also presented 6,000 signatures for the American Diabetes Association in a petition meant to show the importance of increased funding for diabetes research when she was 7. Her signatures were part of a 3.2 million total of signatures obtained.
Type 1 juvenile diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, according to the JDRF Web site. More than 1.3 million Americans have type 1 diabetes and 13,000 children are diagnosed with diabetes each year in the U.S
Caity will go to the diabetes camp, Camp Leo, for a week this summer. The camp has nightly campfires, an overnight hike and games in the woods. The majority of the campers and counselors have diabetes, Caity said. She received a scholarship to the camp through the Enumclaw Lion's Club.
"I'm excited to go on the overnight hike," Caity said.
Anne Radford can be contacted at aradford@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald.
