Every two years, more than 160 children living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) gather in Washington, D.C., to meet face-to-face with some of the top decision-makers in the U.S. government. Similar to Kids for a Cure, the youth delegates in JDRF’s Children’s Congress take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help US Members of Congress understand what life with T1D is like and why research to fund both life-changing and cure-based therapies is so critical. These amazing kids bravely represent the millions of people living with T1D and their families and loved ones.
Tilly Stimpson was diagnosed with T1D at age 2 and a half, in 2010. She has said that ‘Ever since I was diagnosed, raising awareness has been extremely important for me and my family,’ and she has been living that ethos through an extraordinary legacy of volunteering and advocacy with JDRF Canada.
Tilly has attended Kids for a Cure three times, twice in person and once virtually during the early part of the pandemic. She has been a key speaker at the Access for All speakers circuit in Pickering and surrounding areas, and a spokesperson for Access for All at Queens Park (parliament buildings in Toronto for the government of Ontario). She has advocated at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) a key JDRF Canada funding partner for vital cure-based research.
In 2021, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, Tilly wrote 100 letters to seniors in nursing homes and the community to provide company during Covid lockdowns.
She is also an active youth ambassador, has filmed countless videos and participated in several activities with JDRF.
But Tilly is not just a volunteer and advocate, she is a prolific fundraiser too.
Some of her fundraising achievements include, but are not limited to:
- Being a Let’s Make History Again ambassador who raised over 10k in her personal campaign
- Her family, and another volunteer Jen Scriver have led the Peterborough Sun Life Walk to Cure Diabetes for a number of years
- With her family co-hosted a Gala in Peterborough in support of JDRF Canada
- Attended JDRF walks in Peterborough, Ottawa, and Toronto since 2010
Tilly has raised an incredible over $80,000 for diabetes research.
And if that was not enough, Tilly has also participated in two clinical trials, been a stock image photography model for diabetes representation and was nominated in her hometown for her advocacy work for ‘Inspire Women: Day of the Girl’
‘I am absolutely honored to be chosen to represent Canada at the International Children’s Congress.
“Advocacy and educating about T1D are important to me and to be given the opportunity to have a voice alongside international delegates is extremely exciting. I hope I make Canada proud!” says Tilly.
Read more about Tilly on her application here
The JDRF 2023 Children’s Congress takes place between July 9 – 11, 2023, in Washington, D.C.
JDRF Canada once again congratulates Tilly, and we know she will make all Canadians affected by T1D so proud. She already has.
