The Children with Diabetes Quilt for Life is an ongoing project devoted to the people living with diabetes. The quilt was the idea of Jeff Hitchcock, founder of Children with Diabetes. CWD is a company that promotes understanding of the care and treatment of diabetes, especially in children. The idea was quickly adopted by the many families that participate in online support through the Children with Diabetes web site.

For many, diabetes is about numbers. For those who have contributed to the Quilt for Life, diabetes is about them. In the Quilt for Life, diabetes is transformed from the impersonal to the personal, from the abstract world of numbers to the real world of children living everyday with finger sticks and insulin injections. Each square on the quilt comes with a story, a face, and a family that is affected by diabetes. Each of the quilt squares represents someone with diabetes, someone who hopes for a cure. The Quilt for Life is shown at all Children with Diabetes Friends for Life conferences. You too can participate! After you've completed your quilt square, fill in the Quilt Submission Form and send it with your quilt to the address shown on the form. It's that easy!

The Children with Diabetes Quilt for Life has created a national buzz. It was displayed at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on June 8, 2006. The Quilt for Life displayed at the same time the 2006 American Diabetes Association Call to Congress and the 66th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association occurred. The Call to Congress is the ADA's premier lobbying day, during which Diabetes Advocates from across the country meet with their elected officials in Washington, DC to discuss diabetes issues. CWD and the ADA are working together on several fronts, all aimed at helping families who have kids with diabetes.

If you follow the news, you may be aware that diabetes advocacy groups are hopping mad over what they consider a lack of government support in fighting the rise of diabetes in this country. In an effort to raise government and public awareness, the two biggies -- the American Diabetes Association and Children With Diabetes -- have announced they will be holding a joint rally at the US Capitol and a day of grassroots action on June 8. The event has been dubbed "Call to Congress" day. The rally at the Capitol will begin at 10am on the 8th. The day will also be devoted to meetings with members of Congress to try and urge a greater government role in all aspects of diabetes treatment and prevention. Children with Diabetes members will also be there, displaying a huge quilt made from hundreds of squares of fabric, each representing the efforts and experiences of a diabetic child. The picture shown here is just one adorable example (by Laura Stewart of Ontario, Canada, age six), but you can view other samples of the kids' (and their families') work at this page of the CWD website.