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New Yorker Allison is making news as a face of diabetes for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. At the young age of eleven, she has been on a radio announcement and done a photo shoot with Mary Tyler Moore, spoken on 2 shows for Radio Disney, partipated in a panel for ESPN's Zone on how to start a family Walk for a Cure team, and done a press conference with Miss America 1999 Nicole Johnson on her new book, Living With Diabetes. Last summer, Allison traveled to the nation's capitol as a New York delegate for JDRF's Children's Congress and she met with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
CureNow: Why did you want to become a diabetes advocate? Allison: I didn't know I was becoming a diabetes advocate. I just started doing things that sounded interesting, and I wanted to help.
What was it like working with Mary Tyler Moore for the radio publicity and photo shoot, as well as the Promise Ball?
She was really nice. I could tell that she liked kids a lot.
You've met a lot of famous people, like Mary Tyler Moore, Miss America
1999 Nicole Johnson, and Hilary Clinton. What has been your favorite experience while advocating for diabetes?
My favorite experience was giving the bracelet to Hillary Clinton. I brought bracelets to give to the girls at Childrens Congress. The delegates for New York were meeting her and I thought well she's a girl and so I gave her one. It was just kind of funny and that's why I liked it. She put it right on and wore it and then she sent me a thank you note!
What is your best memory of the Children's Congress 2001?
That was one of them and I also liked meeting Chuck Schumer (Senator - NY) because he was really nice.
Why did you want to go? What did you hope to accomplish?
I really hoped to get money for diabetes and to have an experience that I would remember for the rest of my life.
What advice can you give for kids and teens who want to become diabetes advocates?
Have lots of fun and don't take it too seriously because then it won't be as fun. You don't have to be very nervous. I started becoming an advocate through the Walk to Cure Diabetes. And if you see a contest like Children's Congress, don't be afraid to enter
your letter.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
At the winter olympics this year there was a ski-jumper with juvenile diabetes. Ski jumping is a sport that takes a lot of energy.