He?s only 12 years old, but Cohasset?s Finn Doherty has already testified before Congress.
Finn has been a mover and shaker in the juvenile diabetes research world since he was a young boy. In fact, he is the reason the Cohasset Triathlon has raised money for research every year since its inception seven years ago. The race is one of the largest and most successful volunteer fundraisers for JDRF across the country and has raised nearly $1 million for the cause.
Finn recently represented Massachusetts in Washington, D.C. as an ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) at the Children?s Congress, which took place from July 8 to 10. Doherty joined 150 children from around the country to ask Congress to continue supporting research to find a cure for type 1 diabetes (T1D).
For Finn, who was diagnosed at age 2, diabetes is just part of his daily routine.
?I have to track everything, every single carb I eat,? he said.
In addition to monitoring his sugar intake by pricking his finger ?nine to 10 times a day,? Finn also has to monitor his activity level. For an active 12-year-old, this is a bit of a challenge. But between baseball, basketball, golf, lacrosse, soccer, and tennis, he doesn?t let the disease slow him down.
His mother, Suzanne, can attest to his busy schedule.
?He leaves the house at seven in the morning and comes home at five at night,? she said. ?He has school and sports all day, and he just [manages] it all by himself. It?s pretty incredible.?
Finn said he is inspired by Olympian Gary Hall Jr., who participates in the Cohasset Triathlon each year. The two have become good friends, and Doherty said he?s learned a lot from the famous athlete.
?One of the things I?ve learned from being friends with Gary ? and I go by it every day, whenever I have a complication ? is, ?Don?t let diabetes beat you,?? said Finn. ?I think of that and keep pushing through; if you keep pushing, you will get through and everything will work out.?
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Political purpose
Finn, who starts seventh grade at Thayer Academy in Braintree this fall, took his message of hope for a cure to the Children?s Congress this summer. The summit, held every other summer, was led by JDRF International Chairman Mary Tyler Moore and included congressional visits by the delegates and a Senate hearing during which Moore, select delegates and advocates testified on the need for continued funding for T1D research.
The theme of this year?s congress was ?Promise to Remember Me,? serving as a reminder to lawmakers to think of the struggle those living with the disease must endure on a daily basis.
The children, like Finn, who attended the summit were all aged four to 17 and all live with T1D. They came from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, along with six international delegates from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Israel, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The message these children ambassadors were trying to convey? fighting T1D requires a global effort.
In particular, Finn explained that he and his fellow ambassadors asked lawmakers for a three-year renewal of $150 million per year in funding for T1D research.
?That funds all sorts of research, such as artificial pancreas, which takes care of everything,? said Finn. ?It would be really nice, replacing cells so you don?t even have to think about diabetes.?
Currently, said Finn, there are many advancements in the field of diabetes research that are ?really cool and downright helpful, making life easier for the other kids and adults with the disease.? However, he added, ?It will not be possible without all the money we need.?
It sounds like the 12-year-old could have a future in politics. One thing is for certain ? he already is, and will continue to be, an advocate.
?I have a bunch of ideas,? he said of possible future careers. ?I?ve thought about being in the government and doing advocacy. This whole thing, the Children?s Congress, was definitely something I was interested in and wanted to do.?
Participating in the summit was ?cool,? said Finn. ?I got to meet four or five of our congressman from Massachusetts, and I?d never met any of them before. I got to talk to them about how I handle diabetes every single day throughout my life.
?They were all pretty supportive of it, which was nice,? Doherty added. ?They all thought this was a cause that they needed to fund; that makes it a little easier.?
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An inspiration
Finn may not even be a teenager yet, but he?s already had a major impact on T1D research.
Cohasset Triathlon founder and director Bill Burnett said he decided to donate the race?s proceeds to JDRF after meeting the boy (he was in kindergarten with Burnett?s twin daughters).
?He had seen what I have to do every day,? said Finn of why Burnett got involved.
Burnett said, ?My friendship with Finn and his parents initiated my decision to have the triathlon give back to help find a cure for type 1 diabetes. To see what Finn and other type 1 diabetics have to go through on a daily basis is mind-blowing. I am so very proud that the triathlon has helped spearhead nearly $1 million toward type 1 research.?
The triathlon founder added that he is also proud of Finn.
?I am proud to call Finn a friend,? said Burnett. ?He is a smart, athletic, thoughtful person who has a big, bright future ahead of him.?
Finn participates in the triathlon each year, holding the flag. Next year, when he is old enough, he hopes to complete a relay in the three-event race (swimming, cycling and running).
?That?s definitely something I?ve wanted to do for a long time, basically ever since it started,? he said of the triathlon.
As for the Children?s Congress? Said Finn, ?I would definitely like to do something like that again.?
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