Ruby Whitmore has had Type 1 diabetes since she was 5. In the past 11 years, she hasn’t tried to hide her insulin pump or shy away from questions about it.
And on Wednesday, it was in full view for everyone to see at a U.S. Senate hearing.
Whitmore, an Old Town resident, was one of two Breakthrough T1D 2025 Children’s Congress delegates who spoke at a U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations hearing on Wednesday. The 16-year-old’s testimony was given as part of a hearing with the Appropriations Committee, which includes U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, that focused on Type 1 research and funding.
The Children’s Congress was invited to attend and speak at the hearing to show the importance of Type 1 diabetes research and funding in a time when the Trump administration has terminated or froze more than 260 grants for the National Institute of Health. Multiple senators spoke out against any cuts to research while delegates spoke about how new technology has improved their lives.
More than 170 delegates of the Children’s Congress from 50 states and five countries attended the hearing.
Through soccer practice, volunteering and learning to drive, Whitmore said she has experienced “invisible challenges” of monitoring her blood sugar levels and eating the right things at the right time before and during anything she does. Her time spent volunteering and playing sports has only been possible through modern technology funded through the Special Diabetes Program.
“I’ve been lucky to have access to the latest diabetes technology, like continuous glucose monitors and advanced insulin pumps, which have made it possible for me to live a full, active life,” Whitmore said.
The Special Diabetes Program provides $160 million per year to the National Institute of Health to fund Type 1 diabetes research. Collins and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, announced earlier this week a bill to reauthorize the program through 2027.
Whitmore said she can afford the new technology because of increased research and funding through the program. Investments and ongoing research are key points for the future of people with Type 1 diabetes, Whitmore said.
“I never want a young girl to think she can’t play sports because of her insulin pump. I never want a family to skip doses or ration supplies because of costs. Everyone living with Type 1 diabetes deserves the chance to thrive,” Whitmore said.
Multiple senators spoke out against funding cuts from the Trump administration and said the president does not have a hand in changing diabetes funding. Congress should be focusing on a push for the reauthorization of the Special Diabetes Program and an increase in funding to ensure a cure for Type 1 diabetes is found in the near future, Collins said.
Whitmore said a cure for Type 1 would be life changing.
“It would feel like just taking off a burden that’s been in my life and so many other people’s lives,” Whitmore said.
