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Tell U.S. Senators To Keep Diabetes Research Funding

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Sponsor: The Diabetes Site

Join NBA Star Ray Allen and his type 1 son in lobbying against cutting diabetes research funding


Only months after helping the Miami Heat win the 2013 NBA title this past June, NBA star Ray Allen is now putting the drive and energy he had on the court towards advocating the need to keep and increase funding for diabetes research on Capitol Hill.

The Special Diabetes Program, which has been funding type 1 research since 1997, is currently in danger of government funding cut backs. Allen's six-year-old son, Walker, is one of three million Americans living with type 1 diabetes who hope this funding can bring about a cure in their lifetime.

Since 2004, the U.S. government has dispersed $150 million towards type 1 and type 2 diabetes related efforts. However, to rework government budgets, Congress is now looking into transitioning funding from a 3-year grant to a single-year renewable program.

Let's speak up for type 1 diabetes research and keep the momentum going! Sign this petition to tell the chairs of the Special Committee on Aging and the Senate Budget Committee of the importance for multi-year funding to make headway in type 1 diabetes research.

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Type 1 diabetes is growing significantly, a 23% increase in young people since the previous decade, and has cost the U.S. about $245 billion per year. As the condition grows, it does not make sense to spend less money on preventative measures and slow down research efforts for a cure.

NBA Star Ray Allen has taken measures into his own hands and headed straight to Capitol Hill to lobby against congress' decision to cut diabetes funding. The U.S. Government plans to make a few budget cuts from the Special Diabetes Program, that helps fund type 1 diabetes research. Join Allen to advocate for diabetes funding!

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The Petition:

To the the chairs of the Special Committee on Aging and the Senate Budget Committee,

Type 1 diabetes, a growing condition that is affecting over three million Americans each year. We have recently heard that you may cut back on the Special Diabetes Program which helps fund type 1 diabetes research.

This has left many type 1 research supporters worried about  the change slowing down the progress researchers have made.

Now is not the time to cut funding. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the leading cause of kidney failure, blindness in adults and amputations. By keeping the multi-year grant, researchers will be able to continue clinical trials and research which will get us steps closer to a type 1 cure and type 2 drugs that can reverse diabetes risks such as most recent drug Lucentis, that is now reversing diabetes-related eye damage.

The health and future of over 18 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes is in your hands, please reconsider cutting back on diabetes research funding and realize the importance it has on our nations health.

Thank you for your reconsideration.

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