WASHINGTON, DC — A group of children from Georgia return from a trip to Washington advocating for themselves and others with Type 1 diabetes.

Amanda Gentles, the mother of an 8-year-old with diabetes, says a special diabetes program bill was put forward by Senator Susan Collins and is up for renewal in September. It calls for federal funding for research on Type 1 diabetes.

“Our ultimate hope is for a cure. So, we are advocating for that funding” Gentles said.

She says her son was one of the speakers on Capitol Hill. “As a mom, it was an incredibly powerful and proud moment,” Gentles recalled.

The bipartisan legislation would expand Medicare coverage for diabetes self-management training and more funding for research.