Philip Day, a 16-year-old Diabetes UK volunteer with Type 1 diabetes, visited the European Parliament to talk about key diabetes issues and what can be done to improve the situation for children and young adults.
Phillip, from Widnes, Cheshire, met Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in Strasbourg, France, to mark World Diabetes Day 2007.
Young people get their say
His trip is part of a series of activities involving young people from EU member states to raise diabetes awareness between 13 and 15 November 2007.
Phillip, a supporter of Diabetes UK, will be the UK’s representative. He has lived with Type 1 diabetes for 13 years.
Phillip met other young people with diabetes from all over Europe, as well as talking with MEPs from the UK to discuss issues that children with diabetes face in schools.
Fair treatment for everyone
“I received excellent support from my schools,” said Phillip.
“But I think that all children have the right to the same level of diabetes support that I had.”
Driving and diabetes
Phillip also spoke to his MEPs about diabetes and driving - another area of concern for young people with the condition. Currently, the rules on driving with diabetes differ across the EU but this is now under review.
“People with diabetes should be individually assessed on their fitness to drive,” said Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, Douglas Smallwood.
Great opportunity
Phillip’s mum, Lynne Day, is chair of the local Widnes diabetes support group and went with Phillip on the trip. “My son has been given a great opportunity,” she said. “This trip will enable him to show children with diabetes that you can still lead a very active life.”
World Diabetes Day
Other activities to mark World Diabetes Day 2007 included the lighting up in blue of famous landmarks.
The illuminations started in the UK with the London Eye and stretched across the world to include the Empire State Building in New York and the Sydney Opera House, plus loads more worldwide...
... such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Eiffel Tower, the Tokyo Tower, Niagara Falls, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, and the world’s tallest building, Taipei 101, in Taiwan.
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