While most children, and probably most adults, would be too hesitant to approach the president of the United States, 11-year-old Sara Jacob was not afraid to introduce herself when the opportunity arose last week.
After all, she had a message for him.
The Olney resident said she hopped off where she had been sitting on the back lawn of the White House and handed President Obama a business card and a pin bearing her name.
Jacob was one of approximately 150 youths from across the world who visited the president June 23 during the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Children's Congress, an event held every other year since 1999 that allows children ages 4 to 17 to visit with lawmakers to urge them to support finding a cure for type 1 diabetes.
They also met Mary Tyler Moore, Sugar Ray Leonard and Nick Jonas of the pop group The Jonas Brothers, all of whom have diabetes.
Jacob said Obama told the children he was proud of them for their advocacy work and bravery.
As he was leaving, Jacob saw her window of opportunity. She walked up to Obama and asked that he remember her when the time comes to approve funding for diabetes research.
"I was a little bit nervous because he is the president of the United States and he's famous, but overall he seemed like a really nice guy and that he cared about finding a cure for diabetes," she said.
Brian Jacob, Sara's father, said he accompanied his daughter during the trip to Washington, D.C., June 22 to 24 and was waiting outside the White House during her visit with the president. He was amazed when Jacob told him her story.
"It's very rare that you get to meet the president, so I was very excited for her," Brian Jacob said.
He and his daughter, along with two children from Chevy Chase and Brandywine, also met with staff representing U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D) of Baltimore, U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D) of Pikesville and U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D- Dist. 4) of Fort Washington.
Jacob, who will be a sixth-grader at Farquhar Middle School, has been living with type 1 diabetes since she was 4 years old, her father said. Type 1 diabetes, which is sometimes called juvenile diabetes, means that the pancreas cannot produce insulin, a hormone that the body uses to change glucose in the blood into energy. Those affected need to inject insulin into their bodies through shots or a pump to manage the disease.
Sara Jacob wears a pump and checks her blood sugar levels several times a day.
"We try to make her life as normal as possible, but it's a challenge," Brian Jacob said.
The Jacob family has been active in raising awareness about type 1 diabetes. They participate each year in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's (JDRF) annual Walk to Cure Diabetes and have raised more than $150,000, Brian Jacob said. Sara Jacob also started a diabetes walk at Brook Grove Elementary School and has acted as a JDRF advocate.
Amy DeLair, special events assistant for the JDRF Capitol Chapter, said more than 1,500 children applied to take part in the Children's Congress. Youths were selected by a national committee based on the need for focus in their congressional district and in a way that divided the group evenly by ages.
"Sara and her family have been extremely involved in our JDRF chapter here, so we were extremely ecstatic when she was chosen to participate in the Children's Congress," DeLair said.
Sara said the event was an unforgettable experience and that she will continue to promote awareness about the disease.
"Don't let diabetes keep you from doing what you want to do," she said. "Even though it is a part of your life and it affects you, don't let it control you."
