Meghan O'Rourke, CCTV, hosts a conversation with Sheebah Nabukenya and Catherine Turyamureeba. Alishbah (Sheebah) Nabukenya, age 13 of South Burlington, VT was chosen by Breakthrough T1D, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, to join a delegation of their peers and celebrity advocates in Washington, D.C., this summer at Breakthrough T1D 2025 Children’s Congress from July 7-9, 2025.
For more information visit: https://cc.breakthrought1d.org | https://cc.breakthrought1d.org/delegates-search/?location=vermont
From Breakthrough T1D Children's Congress:
Sheebah is an amazing, thoughtful young lady who, in a group of 11 kids between all her cousins, is always known for her passionate and detailed writing skills. She is also a strong, pain-resistant kid; because of this, her family didn’t immediately recognize she had T1D. She was diagnosed after a scary moment on a family vacation to New York City. Sheebah has since taken charge of her own care, with the need for minimal help here and there. As a Delegate, she wants to advocate for access to more affordable insulin and glucose monitoring devices. Sheebah would love to be a real estate agent when she grows up. She wants to sell houses because she knows it will make her a lot of money, and she will be able to take care of her mother.
Breakthrough T1D Children’s Congress was inspired by a boy from Massachusetts named Thom Solo. One day, at age nine, he asked his mother, “Why can’t kids go to Washington and tell their Representatives about what it’s like to have type 1 diabetes and let them know that we want scientists to find a cure?” His mom and other leadership volunteers agreed, and, in 1999, the first-ever Children’s Congress took place in Washington, D.C. Since then, more than 1,000 kids with T1D have served as delegates, and the event has been essential to securing continued government funding for T1D research and raising awareness of the daily burden experienced by people living with this serious autoimmune disease. Delegates form lifelong friendships, meet T1D role models, develop leadership skills, and leave Children’s Congress empowered to use their voices to power progress on the path to cures. To learn more about Breakthrough T1D Children’s Congress, visit: cc.breakthrought1d.org.