March 29, 2009

Looking for PA People Again

I Want You To Lobby Your Elected Officials


This is an update of a Post from August.

Safe at School legislation has been re-introduced into the quagmire we lovingly call Harrisburg. We need this and there is nothing like letting your elected officials know you (an actual registered voter) are paying attention. I don't see a PA Senate version yet.

It as easy as 123.

1) Identify your elected dude or dudette
2) Send them a letter
3) Send it again in a few months.


1) Go here and enter your zip code. It will give you your state representative.
2) Here is a little draft letter only minor modifications are required (edit out the wise cracks in the brackets) or grow your own.
3) If you hear back send a thank you note. If you don’t send the letter again a little closer to the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. In fact send another one in mid October any way.


Dear (Insert the name your dude or dudette here, see 1 above.)

Please ad your sponsorship to House Bill 1113 P.N. 1309 Safe at School legislation for Children with diabetes. This legislation is desperately needed to help students with diabetes succeed.

We are the parents of (Your actual number of T1 Kids! I used two, if you have less than two actual type 1 kids please change the plural children to singular child as appropriate in the following sentences. Oh and congratulations on only having one.) children with type 1 diabetes. Type 1 is often reported in the media as the ‘more serious’ form of diabetes due to the higher levels of testing and insulin use it requires.

Type 1 is an autoimmune disease and is in no way the result of diet or exercise. All type 1 children and adults require insulin throughout the day and will continue to need it until a cure is found. Both our children use insulin pumps, manufactured in the Commonwealth, to deliver that insulin instead of 4 to 6 insulin shots a day. (LOOK It is good for the state economy! - Sucks big time for us but hey every silver lining has a cloud....)

(Ad A PERSONAL PARAGRAPH! follow with 'more work is still needed' like sample below)

While significant progress has been made many school still refuses the safe at school best practices that this bill would insure. For example many children have only been permitted to participate in school trips if a parent accompanies them and despite doctor’s specific recommendations are not permitted to carry and use their glucose monitoring equipment at all times.

This legislation is desperately needed. It is a safe and appropriate response to a chronic medical condition. I look forward to hearing you have added you sponsorship to the bill and your efforts to getting it passed. I hope to be able to share with the tens of thousands of other Delaware Valley (Or your local walk) type 1 families who support the October (Just before elections.... not that we are watching or anything... but maybe we'll follow up then) Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk for the Cure that you are working to improve the lives of type 1 kids by keeping them Safe at School. (OH YEAH DID I MENTION - THERE ARE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF REGISTERED VOTERS INVOLVED? right before Election Day? Oh I did mention that? Sorry.... Not!)

Respectfully

2 comments :

  1. Hey just found your blog. I live outside Philly in Delaware County and have a daughter with Type 1 who is 6 yrs old. My reps are Micozzie and Erickson. It looks like Micozzie has already signed on, but I will write two letters anyway, one thanking Micozzie for signing on and the other asking Erickson to. I also have some comments about DisneyWorld as we just returned from a week there - not a carb count in site which provided us with best guesstimates and high readings. A nightmare trying to locate any nutritional information... I'll leave a comment on that blogpost too. Thanks for your blog! Penny

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  2. Welcome Penny

    Glad you found the site.

    I trust you know children with diabetes too. If not there is a link good site for parent of T 1 kids

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