TYPE 1 PARLIAMENT

Emma Bailey - pictured below - from Leigh Park is chosen to spread the word about type one diabetes in Parliament Emma Bailey, aged 10 from Leigh Park has been selected by a global charity to speak about life with type one diabetes at a major House of Commons event this spring.

JDRF, the type one diabetes charity, has chosen Emma, who attends Bosmere Junior School, to attend Type 1 Parliament, which takes place on 11 March, 2014 and is kindly supported by Platinum sponsors Lilly. She will be one of sixty children and adults who live with the condition and have been  selected from across the country to represent their constituencies.

Type one diabetes is a chronic and challenging condition. The exact cause is unknown, but it is not linked to lifestyle or diet. A child diagnosed with it at the age of five faces up to 19,000 insulin injections and 50,000 finger prick tests by the time they are 18. The condition affects 400,000 people in the UK – equivalent to more than 600 people in every constituency – and incidence is growing rapidly, particularly in those under five years old.

Helen Bailey is Emma’s mum. She said: ‘Emma’s diagnosis when she was 3 years old was a very difficult time for the family. It means they can’t always be carefree like other children can.”

But Helen Bailey added: “It was very exciting to hear that Emma had been chosen to represent all those in our area living with the condition at Type 1 Parliament. Going to the House of Commons and talking to MPs will be a wonderful experience for them.”

Karen Addington, Chief Executive of JDRF, said: “Type one diabetes doesn’t have to hold you back in life. But it is a very challenging condition to live with. The Government must respond to increasing rates of type one diabetes in the UK by investing more in research to treat, prevent and cure the condition. That’s why we’re taking our message to Westminster in March.”