Over 120 senators and MPs were left teary-eyed after an emotion-charged meeting at Parliament House yesterday where 100 children with type 1 diabetes appealed to parliamentarians to help find a cure for the deadly disease they live with every day.

Led by 10 year old Cassie Garvan from Sydney, the delegation of children at Kids In The House were aged between 3 and 17 years and came from all states and territories of Australia. The event was organized by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Special guest Prime Minister John Howard opened the Kids In The House presentation in the Great Hall at Parliament House, at which MPs and Senators learned how difficult it is to live with type 1 diabetes and why a cure is so critical.

In his address, Prime Minister Howard said that an event like Kids In The House "brings home to the rest of the community the sorts of challenges that young people who have juvenile diabetes have to cope with and also the challenges of parents and others who care for them."

Parliamentarians were visibly moved after 8 year old Jeremy Metha from Melbourne, 15 year old Thomas Johns from Perth and parent of a child with juvenile diabetes, Michael Clapham from Sydney, spoke of their tragic experiences with this terrible disease and how it has affected their lives. Thomas broke down in tears begging parliamentarians to please promise to remember him, saying "I need your support, not your sympathy."

After the presentation, Ms Sheila Royles, CEO of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation said "Through Kids In The House we wanted to raise awareness of juvenile diabetes and ask the government to support policies and research that will eventually lead to a cure.

"We're thrilled with the support shown by the Prime Minister, Health Minister Kay Patterson and parliamentarians. The children were able to explain in their own words why type 1 diabetes is such a serious disease," she said.

"People generally confuse juvenile diabetes with the more common type 2 diabetes, a lifestyle related condition that, in comparison, is relatively easy to treat. Juvenile diabetes is a disease of the immune system and it can't be prevented. People with juvenile diabetes have to take 4-6 injections of insulin each day just to stay alive and after 20 years with the disease they suffer severe health problems such as blindness, heart disease, kidney failure and amputations."

Earlier in the day, delegates and parents built an impressive display of 14, 600 syringes and 21,840 blood glucose strips on the demonstration lawn at Parliament House. Opened by Senator Kay Patterson, Minister for Health and Ageing, the "Diabetes Life On The Lawn" display symbolised the number of injections and blood tests endured by a person living with diabetes for 10 years.

Senator Patterson told the children that "You have given the parliament and the nation a message that we will not forget when we are considering diabetes funding and research."

Kids In The House was sponsored by Medibank Private and Qantas, with valued support provided by Roche Diagnostics, Novo Nordisk, Aventis Pharma, Rydges, Channel 7, AAP and Edelman.

JDRF, the world's leading nonprofit nongovernmental funder of diabetes research was founded in 1970 by the parents of children with juvenile diabetes - a disease which strikes children suddenly, makes them insulin dependent for life and carries the threat of devastating health complications. Since its inception, JDRF has provided more than US$600 million to diabetes research worldwide. JDRFs mission is constant - to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research.

For further information:

Karolyn Andrews, Media & PR Manager, JDRF
Ph. 02 9966 0400 (x203) or 0403 787 077 | email: kandrews@jdrf.org.au