Hoping for a diabetes cure

Katanning's Lauryn Hope-Blyth has had type 1 diabetes for as long as she can remember.

Lauryn carries around an insulin pump, about the size of a smart phone, constantly attached to her body to manage the disease.

“I’ve had this pump for four years and I’ve gotten used to it now,” she said.

Sleepovers, sports carnivals and holidays take much more consideration for Lauryn and her family than for most other young people.

Committed to help finding a cure, the Year 6 student will travel to Canberra for the second time in November with the Kids in the House project, where 100 young people from across the country will lobby members of Parliament to increase funding to find a cure for the disease.

Federal Member for O’Connor Tony Crook has supported the request for more funding and recently read out to Parliament a poem titled My Wish sent to him by Lauryn.

“I implore members of both chambers to have a conversation with type 1 diabetes sufferers in their electorates, and to hear the stories of young Australians,” he said. Lauryn’s message for politicians is simple.

“Support and listen to people’s stories, they are very interesting,” she said.

“If they do listen, one day there will be a cure.”