A Tulsa boy takes his fight against Juvenile Diabetes to Washington DC

Thursday, June 2nd 2005, 7:29 pm

By: News On 6

A 9-year old Oklahoma boy is taking his fight to Congress. Taylor Jones is one of a hand-full of children from across the US personally asking for federal funding to find a cure for diabetes.

The News on 6's Heather Lewin has more on why Taylor not only hopes to change his own life, but wants to keep other children from suffering at all.

Looking at Taylor Jones, you'd never guess he's anything but a happy, healthy 9-year old. But nearly three years ago, his parents realized something was very wrong. Taylorâ€™s dad, Kelly Jones: "He just started losing a lot of weight. He was real lethargic, didn't have a lot of energy." Taylor joined the more than 13,000 US children diagnosed every year, with Type One diabetes.

Now every day is filled with painful pinpricks, insulin injections and the threat of falling into a coma. Taylor Jones: "Because I have diabetes I have to check my blood sugar a lot, and find out all the carbs to food and punch in insulin and stuff." Kelly Jones: "I was just scared to death for him, having to go through that." Advocates say many people confuse the different forms of the disease. Type Two juvenile diabetes has been linked to obesity, inactivity and poor diet, also a growing problem among American kids. But for Type One diabetics, like Taylor, the body simply turns on itself and stops producing insulin, needed to survive.

No one knows the reason why. Kelley McMahnon with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: â€œwe have these families come in every day and have no idea why their child was diagnosed with this and basically this is a life sentence. They have to take insulin for the rest of their life." But not if Taylor has anything to say about it. Taylor: I'm going to Washington D.C. to represent Oklahoma and talk to Congressmen. So that they can support a cure and try to find a cure for diabetes."

His dad says while Taylor handles his disease remarkably well, some days are tougher than others. Kelly Jones: "I hate diabetes; I wish I didn't have to check my blood sugar. He has to poke his fingers and draw blood on an average 5-8 times a day, which is no fun for anyone, let alone a 9 year old."

A 9-year old whose biggest hope is just to be a regular kid. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation organizes the children's congress every two years, this time they'll be asking legislators to support stem cell research in hopes of finding a cure.