Avery Addington is a normal, active 7-year-old and the only child of Jason and Hallie Addington of Springboro. Avery also has had Juvenile Diabetes Type 1 since she was three.

Avery wears an insulin pump 24 hours a day that is inserted with a needle every three days. She has countless tiny black spots on her fingers where she tests her blood sugar by pricking her fingers around 10 times a day.

Avery was recently chosen as a delegate to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Children’s Congress. She will be one of 150 children with type 1 from all over the country who will travel to Washington D.C. this summer to talk with Congress members about diabetes research.

Hallie Addington, mother of Avery, is a kindergarten teacher at Walter Shade Early Childhood Center in West Carrollton and a board member for JDRF’s Southwest Ohio Chapter.

“Type 1 is an autoimmune disease and Type 2 is a metabolic disorder,” said Addington. “Type 1 is what used to be referred to as “juvenile” diabetes. This name is misleading, however, because it is not a disease that you grow out of. It got its name because it is most often diagnosed in childhood. However, it can be diagnosed at any age. Children with type 1 become adults with type 1. We do know that it is ‘not’ caused by poor diet ‘or’ lack of exercise as is often the case with type 2. Because of this autoimmune attack, a person with type 1 cannot produce insulin. You need insulin to live. A person with type 1 must ‘inject’ or infuse insulin.”

Four years ago Mike Rieger, a Lion Club member of Germantown, cousin of Hallie, became involved in JDR. While president of Germantown Lion’s Club, Rieger set up a committee fund for diabetes 1. The Lions help people get glasses and other vision related services and Rieger thought that would fit well with supporting JDRF as blindness can be one of its complications. The Lion Club is supportive through the Walk to Cure and pancake breakfast.

”We worry about low blood sugar taking her life,” said Addington. “We face the reality that blindness, amputations, heart disease, kidney failure, neuropathy, and stroke are complications she may face. That’s why we need a cure. It’s tricky. We want people to understand the devastation of this disease. And that it is ‘not’ preventable. Insulin injections are the ‘only’ treatment - and it is a treatment. Not a cure.”