Carson's Cruisers: One Small Step for a T1D and one Giant Leap for the T1D Community! (by Carson)

What does a Governor, a proclamation, and Type 1 diabetes have in common? They all came together on August 14, 2014! A little over a month ago during Ironman CDA, I asked Governor Otter and First Lady Lori if they could help me spread awareness about Type 1 Diabetes in the state of Idaho by signing a Proclamation for a Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day at the state capitol in Boise! The First Lady took me over to meet her personal assistant, Tamera, and she got all my information. She called me later to tell me that the Governor and First Lady wanted to do it!! I was so excited! My family was going down to Boise anyway for my brother's Congressional Award, so Tamera worked it out for us to have a ceremony the same week! When we got to the Governor's office, Governor Otter wanted me to sit at the desk and have this picture made. This desk is the same desk that has been used by all the governors of Idaho since 1911!

Governor Otter and First Lady Lori signed the Proclamation and we took some more pics before the ceremony. Here is the actual proclamation that you can read!!
http://gov.idaho.gov/mediacenter/proc/2014/8%20Aug/8.14.14%20Type%201%20Diabetes%20Day.pdf

I gave a speech about why I was wanting this proclamation and what it is about! The actual T1D awareness day will be on Monday, Feb 9 this year. I wanted to have it while the legislature was in session. It will be in the rotunda and the public will be invited! I have lots of ideas about how we can set it up! Endocrinologists, CDE's, JDRF reps, families of T1Ds will be there and I want to ask some famous T1Ds to come. T1D kids will make trifold posters telling their story and we will also have all the latest research and info about the SDP there! Gov. Otter or First Lady Lori will read the proclamation again on that day!

First Lady Lori spoke to the crowd and then read the Proclamation! I was so amazed by all of it that I don't remember much of what she said...it was like a dream come true! Like I always say, "One voice really can make a difference!" The First Lady was very nice and knows a lot more than I expected about Type 1 diabetes because she was a health and PE teacher and she had some students who had T1D and she had to know what to do to take care of emergencies!

My mom called Pam Howland , JDRF advocacy, in Boise and she was nice enough to get some JDRF families together to come to the ceremony! And, while we were at the capitol, we met a family from Arizona who were visiting the capitol on their vacation. And guess what? The teenage girl had T1D...so, we invited the family to come to the ceremony, too! That's her to the far right! And since Sierra, Miss Idaho, wanted to be here, but couldn't because she had to go to a pageant, McCall's mom took a #showmeyourpump pic for Sierra's campaign! McCall in the girl in the crown. She is Miss Idaho Outstanding Teen and has T1D, also!

Oh...and here is a picture of me, First Lady Lori, and Tamara, the First Lady's assistant. She put the whole thing together for us! Thank you, Tamera!

And, this is Nick! He is one of Governor Otter's special assistants and put out the press release and wrote the proclamation!!! He also took photos and is going to get the Governor and First Lady to sign some for me! He is very nice!

So...all the way home I was thinking of how I wanted to get a Type 1 Diabetes Day at EVERY state capitol in the U.S. My mom says I make her tired! It would be really cool to have them all on the same day. Then I thought of an idea! I know kids with T1D from every state!! So, here is my challenge to all you 2013 Children's Congress Delegates: Call your Governor's office and ask for an appointment with the Governor or First Lady, tell them you would like to spread awareness about Type 1 Diabetes, tell them your story, and then ask to get a Proclamation signed for an annual Type 1 Diabetes Day at your state capitol like I did!! WE CAN DO THIS!