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Bemus Point teen participates in Children’s Congress event

Ben Cornell

Ben Cornell, 14, of Bemus Point, was chosen by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes research, to join a delegation of 160 children and celebrity advocates in Washington, D.C. this summer at the JDRF 2019 Children’s Congress in early July.

The children, ages 4 to 17, represented all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Joining the U.S. Delegates were five International Delegates traveling from Australia, Canada, Israel, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Together, the Delegates will help to convey to the Federal Government that T1D is a global problem that requires a global effort.

The delegates in JDRF’s Children’s Congress enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gather in Washington, D.C., to meet face-to-face with some of the top decision-makers in the U.S. government, to help Members of Congress understand what life with T1D is like and why research to fund life-changing therapies until a cure can be found is so critical. They spoke up on behalf of the millions of people living with T1D and the families and friends who love them. The Delegates were lobbying their Members of Congress to remind them of the vital need to continue supporting T1D research that could reduce the burden of this disease and ultimately find a cure.

After Ben Cornell was diagnosed with T1D at age 10, his parents had his three younger brothers tested for T1D autoantibodies, and his younger brother Zach turned out to have four out of five of them and ended up also being diagnosed with T1D. Now the whole family is incredibly involved with the JDRF Western New York Chapter, where their mom is a board member. They’ve participated in JDRF One Walk events, the Journey to a Cure Gala, and Annual Conference. This past year, they raised $6,000 with Ben as the captain of their JDRF One Walk team “It’s all about Benjamins, Zach and a Cure.”

Ben is an eighth-grader at Maple Grove Junior Senior High School and thrives with a long list of athletic pursuits, including: cross country, football, wrestling, basketball and track. He is also very musically talented, playing the guitar, bass, drums and piano — particularly enjoying the First Covenant Praise Band.

On the leadership front, he has been involved with Student Council for several years. His parents are Chuck and Lori Cornell.

When Ben was diagnosed with T1D, it changed his life. But Ben doesn’t let anything stop him from living his life. T1D is something that he has to live with, but he doesn’t let it run his life. Ben adds, “With JDRF I can have hope. In the nearly three years I have had T1D, my family has already benefitted greatly from the support and past work of this organization. Like better technology. And when I go to JDRF events, I don’t feel alone. I can connect with others who face the same challenges as me.”

To learn more about JDRF Children’s Congress, please visit http://cc.jdrf.org/.

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