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American Morning

Juvenile Diabetes: Children Testify Before Congress

Aired June 26, 2001 - 09:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to start with kids today and with the campaign to raise awareness and money in the fight against diabetes. Two hundred kids from around the country are converging on Capitol Hill and some of them will testify at a Senate committee hearing next hour about coping with diabetes.

Also testifying: actress Mary Tyler Moore -- she is the international chair of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She had an interview on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE" and she talked about her own person struggle with the disease.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

LARRY KING, HOST: You've lived a pretty long time, but a lot of people Juvenile Diabetes Foundation don't make it...

MARY TYLER MOORE, INTERNATIONAL CHAIR, JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION: That's right.

KING: ... to this age, right?

MOORE: That's right. And who knows, I may be meant to live to 100. Probably won't make that because of the diabetes because of the wear and tear that it puts on the body, on the vital organs. It's the number one cause of blindness. It is one of the big causes of amputation.

KING: Do you fear that?

MOORE: Yes, I do. And, as a matter of fact, have had several episodes both with my eyes and almost having to have an amputation.

KING: Yet they told me today they're very hopeful -- that they're pretty close.

MOORE: Well, the most exciting thing that is happening in this research is stem cell research. We are very close. What we need now is a massive amount of money for the National Institutes...

KING: And that's what you're appearing for tomorrow.

MOORE: ... of Health and that's what we are here for.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KAGAN: And we plan on bringing you portions of Mary Tyler Moore's testimony in the next hour.

Also testifying before that Senate committee, children with juvenile diabetes. And two of them are with us this hour. We'll get a preview from Daniel Thaller, also from Rachel Dudley. They are in our Washington bureau.

Kids, good morning, thanks for being with us this morning.

RACHEL DUDLEY, JUVENILE DIABETES PATIENT: Good morning.

DANIEL THALLER, JUVENILE DIABETES PATIENT: Thank you for having for us.

KAGAN: Well, it's good to have you.

Daniel, we're going to start with you. You're 11 years old, my notes tell me. Is that right?

THALLER: Yes, ma'am, 11 years old.

KAGAN: OK. When you say ma'am, Daniel, you make me feel very old.

(LAUGHTER)

KAGAN: So let's skip the ma'am, OK?

THALLER: I'm sorry.

KAGAN: You're 11 years old. You've had diabetes for about as long as you can remember.

THALLER: I can't remember life without diabetes.

KAGAN: So what does that mean for your daily life?

THALLER: Well, it means that I have a lot of weight on my shoulders to carry and it means that I have to do things that a lot of other children would never dream of having to do, including...

KAGAN: Like what kind of stuff?

THALLER: Well, I have to prick my finger three to four times a day and I have to carry around an insulin pump which just adds extra weight to what I already have to carry places so...

KAGAN: And does it make it hard to do kind of kid's stuff like running around and roughhousing and sports and stuff?

THALLER: Sometimes it does, yes.

KAGAN: Sometimes it does.

OK, Rachel, let's get to you. You're 15? DUDLEY: Yes, I am.

KAGAN: Also, like Daniel, as I understand it, you too have had diabetes for as long as you can remember.

DUDLEY: I've had diabetes for 11 years so it's been a long time.

KAGAN: And how does it impact your life? I mean it's hard enough to be 15, shoot, with everything you have to deal with let alone diabetes on top of that. How does it impact being a teenager?

DUDLEY: I mean it's hard. I was going through my childhood, adolescence and my teenage years waking up every day, pricking my fingers and taking shots, worrying about hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic blood sugars and so it's hard and I really want a cure.

KAGAN: And then, Daniel, does it also affect the kind of stuff you can eat? I know when you're a kid you have to ask your parents can I have this, can I have this, can I have that, but I would imagine there's some things that you can't have that other kids can have or maybe not as much of it?

THALLER: Yeah, it does affect my diet a lot. I mean I have to - if I'm at school and my school is having a party, like a birthday party, everyone else would have like five feet of food on their plate and I'd have a couple of chips, you know? That's the way it's always been for me.

KAGAN: That's just kind of how life is.

Now what will you have to say before Congress today? This is a big deal, you're 11 years old and you're talking to Congress people.

THALLER: I'll make sure that they know my personal story, and I'm going to try to convince them myself, and I know all the other people testifying will try to convince them, to give more money to research because that's really a necessity.

KAGAN: And, Rachel, what about you? What will you have to say to some of these Senate...

DUDLEY: I'm going to tell them about my personal story. And I think that that includes, like everybody's story is, because there's 200 kids there and we all have a similar - we're all here for one reason and that's to convince Congress to try and give us some more money because we really need it to find a cure.

KAGAN: Do you think it's hard to get people in Congress to take you seriously since you guys are just kids?

DUDLEY: I think at times it may be, but people here have been really cooperative and so I hope that us telling our story and using the emotional appeal, it will help a lot.

KAGAN: You're 15 years old, are you hopeful that in your lifetime, and that's still quite a few years, that there's going to be a cure for diabetes?

DUDLEY: Absolutely. I'm very hopeful and also very optimistic.

KAGAN: And what about you, Daniel?

THALLER: I think that, like Mary Tyler Moore said earlier, the stem cell research is -- I think it's pretty close. I think they're close to finding a cure. I'm pretty sure it's going to be within, you know 10, 20 years they're going to have a cure.

KAGAN: And in those 10 or 20 years, what will you be doing when we're talking to you all grown up?

THALLER: I'm really not sure. I'll try to just do anything that I could with or without diabetes.

KAGAN: I'm sure you're going to do well.

What about you, Rachel, what are you thinking about...

DUDLEY: I want to own my...

KAGAN: ... now that you're in high school now, right?

DUDLEY: Yes. I want to own my own publishing company so my dreams won't be deferred by diabetes, but we still need a cure.

KAGAN: Absolutely not. Well, I know everyone who's watching you at home, nobody would stand in either of your ways. You're two successful young people and thanks for sharing your stories with us and also giving us a preview of what you plan to say before Congress.

Rachel Dudley and Daniel Thaller, great kids. Thanks for being with us.

THALLER: Thank you.

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